Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez loses appeal of sex assault conviction

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez lost an appeal of his sexual assault conviction in the state Superior Court.

Vazquez was sentenced to 2 to 4 years behind bars followed by 2 years probation after a jury found him guilty on multiple counts in 2021, including sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault and indecent assault of someone under 16 years old.

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.

According to the Trib, the state Superior Court affirmed Vazquez's conviction. The Trib reported he challenged his conviction on four grounds, including that there wasn't enough evidence by the prosecution to disprove his mistake of age defense. During the trial, Vazquez denied he knew the accuser was a minor.

Vazquez also argued that the trial judge in the case erred in letting the prosecution ask him to demonstrate how the victim walked, but the Superior Court said Vazquez's attorney failed to formally object so the issue was waived, the Trib reported.