Rays shortstop Wander Franco's child sexual abuse trial begins with emphatic plea: 'Let justice be done'

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Wander Franco went on trial on Monday amid allegations he had been in a relationship with a minor and paid her mother thousands of dollars for her consent.

The 2023 MLB All-Star last played that August. Since then, he has been charged with sexually abusing a minor, sexual and commercial exploitation against a minor, and human trafficking.

Prosecutors say the minor’s mother went from being a bank employee to allegedly leading an ostentatious life and acquiring assets using the funds she received from Franco. 

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Tampa Bay Rays star Wander Franco went on trial Monday. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

During raids on the house of the minor’s mother, prosecutors say they found $68,500 and $35,000 that they allege was delivered by Franco.

Franco appeared in court Monday and gave an emphatic plea.

"Let justice be done," he said, via ESPN.

According to ESPN, Dominican prosecutors say Franco called the minor "my girl" in a WhatsApp message, admitting that the relationship was a "risk," but he "loved it."

"My girl," Franco allegedly wrote in Spanish. "If my team realizes this, it could cause problems for me. It is a rule for all teams that we cannot talk to minors, and yet I took the risk and I loved it."

Prosecutors say Franco's alleged relationship with the girl, who was 14 at the time, lasted four months, and he allegedly paid her to not speak about it. The girl's mother also faces charges for money laundering based on gifts allegedly sent to her by Franco. 

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, center, is escorted by police to court in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on Jan. 5, 2024. (AP