Former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez was found guilty Thursday of statutory sexual assault, sexual abuse of children and child pornography, among other charges.
A jury in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, found Vazquez guilty on 15 counts, which also included corruption of minors. It found him not guilty on 10 counts of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.
The girl in the case was 13 at the time; Vazquez was 26. Vazquez’s defense argued that she misled him about her age.
The jury heard testimony from Vazquez, now 29, and closing arguments Thursday, and then deliberated for about four hours before reaching its verdict.
Vazquez faces additional charges in Florida and Missouri in connection with his alleged behavior with the girl.
He was arrested in September 2019 and, according to a Pennsylvania criminal complaint, told police that he had “sex but not really” with the girl in 2017, as well as communicating with her through text messages and social media, and sending her nude photographs and videos of himself committing sexual acts.
The investigation began after the girl’s mother found photographs from Vazquez on her daughter’s device and called police. The mother also sent a message to Vazquez informing him the girl was a minor.