Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star pitcher Felipe Vazquez was arrested on Tuesday and charged with multiple felony child sex charges following an investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl, according to ESPN News.
Vazquez was initially charged with “computer pornography/soliciting a child” and “providing obscene material to minors” by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and is being charged with multiple felonies in both Pennsylvania and Florida, including statutory sexual assault.
Vazquez was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Pittsburgh and was denied bail, with the judge saying she was told that additional charges were expected, and believing that he was a flight risk, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Vazquez, 28, has been put on administrative leave by Major League Baseball.
According to a police affidavit, the girl’s mother found texts, photographs and the video sent by Vazquez to her daughter, and on July 23rd “sent a text message, to include a screenshot of the photographs” to Vazquez to inform him that her daughter was a minor.
“Today we were made aware of an active law enforcement investigation involving Felipe Vazquez and his subsequent arrest,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said in a statement. “We take this matter, and these charges in particular, extremely seriously. We have informed the Commissioner’s Office of the investigation and arrest.
“The Commissioner’s Office will immediately place Felipe Vazquez on Administrative Leave (and, as a result, Restricted List) pursuant to the Joint MLB/MLBPA Policy. We need to be respectful to all involved and the ongoing legal proceeding. As a result, the organization, our staff and players cannot comment any further at this time.”
According to CBS Pittsburgh (via FOX News), Vazquez met with the alleged victim at the Pirates’ home ballpark (PNC Park) after she contacted the pitcher on social media beginning their communication, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Fla.