PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 03: Felipe Vazquez #73 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts after giving up a home run in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on September 3, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
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UPDATED 2:42 PM PT – Friday, May 21, 2021
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez is set to face years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. A Pennsylvania jury found Vazquez guilty of multiple charges on Thursday, including statutory sexual assault.
Officials say he met the girl on social media and their relationship began with trading explicit photos. The young girl later testified that she had sex with Vazquez, 26 at the time, in his car before a Pirates game in 2017.
Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vasquez is taken to jail following his conviction trial.
Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP
The two continued to communicate before the girl’s mother found photos of Vazquez on her daughter’s phone which led her to contact police. When initially asked about the girl, Vazquez said he couldn’t remember her name.
Following the arrest, the Pirates released a statement. “Today we were made aware of an active law enforcement investigation involving Felipe Vazquez and his subsequent arrest,” the statement said. “We take this matter, and these charges in particular, extremely seriously.”
Vazquez also faces charges in Florida and Missouri in connection to the assault of the same girl.
