Felipe Vázquez was sentenced to two to four years in prison (with an additional two years on probation) by a Westmoreland County, Pa., judge this morning, according to various reports (including one from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). In May, Vázquez was convicted on 15 counts — 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 — for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.
Vázquez has already served 23 months in prison since his September 2019 arrest, meaning he could be released on parole as soon as next month. While Tuesday’s sentencing is the culmination of the case against him in Pennsylvania, Vázquez is also facing pending charges in Florida and Missouri. Florida prosecutors allege he continued to have sex with the Pennsylvania victim after she moved to Florida, while he’s facing child pornography charges in Missouri after allegedly exchanging sexually explicit messages with the victim during a road series in St. Louis.
The Pirates placed Vázquez on the restricted list immediately following his arrest. He’s slated to officially come off the roster at the end of this season, the final guaranteed year of his contract. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported in May that Vázquez has not been paid since his arrest.
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