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Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez was sentenced to four years in prison on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Judge Scott Mears ordered Vazquez, 30, to serve two years to four years in prison with an additional two years on probation as well as lifetime registration as a sex offender.
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He was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual abuse of children, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, and one count each of statutory sexual assault, indecent sexual assault and corruption of a minor in May. He was also found not guilty on 10 counts of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.
Police said Vazquez met the girl through social media when she was 13 in July 2017 and a month later drove to her home while her parents were out of town and had sex with her before returning to Pittsburgh.
They continued to exchange sexually explicit text messages and images until the teen's mother discovered the relationship and alerted authorities in Florida in June 2019.
The teen, now 17, testified that she suffers from depression and anxiety as Vazquez "stole my innocence and robbed my of my high school years."
Mears on Tuesday denied a motion by defense attorney Gery Gerson for acquittal, claiming the evidence against Vazquez during the trial did not support the guilty verdicts and that the teen lied to Vazquez about her age.
Because Vazquez has already served 23 months in jail he will be eligible for parole beginning next month.
The parole process could be delayed, however, as he faces charges in Florida and Missouri for additional alleged crimes involving the same victim.
Florida authorities previously sought to extradite Vazquez to face charges he possessed child pornography, including pictures he was sent by the teen but Gerson said it was likely Vazquez would ultimately be deported to Venezuela.
