Former Pirates Pitcher Felipe Vazquez Gets 2 To 4 Years On Child Sexual Abuse Conviction
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
GREENSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - A judge has sentenced former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.
Vazquez was sentenced to 2 to 4 years behind bars followed by 2 years probation.
He was arrested in September 2019, accused of having a sexual relationship with a girl in Scottdale, beginning when she was just 13 years old.
Back in May, a Westmoreland County jury found him guilty on 10 counts of sexual abuse of children, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of statutory sexual assault, one count of corruption of a minor and one count of indecent assault of someone under 16 years old. He was found not guilty on 10 counts of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.
Prosecutors argued Vazquez used his status as a professional athlete to groom the girl, while Vazquez's defense called it a case of "reverse grooming," saying Vazquez didn't know she was a minor when he established a sexual relationship with her.
Vazquez has already spent 23 months in jail.