One of the women who accused former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer of sexual assault faces felony fraud charges in Arizona.
Darcy Adanna Esemonu was indicted in Maricopa County, Arizona, last month for allegedly defrauding Bauer and another man. The indictment was just unsealed this week, according to USA Today.
Bauer's lawyer told USA Today that Esemonu was charged for seeking money for prenatal care and an abortion when she was not pregnant.
Esemonu filed suit against Bauer in 2020, accusing him of assaulting and choking her. Last year, Bauer filed a countersuit, alleging he was a victim of extortion regarding a fake pregnancy, stating that she sought $1.6 million.
Bauer, who hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2021 despite never facing any criminal charges, posted a lengthy statement Tuesday on YouTube.
"At this point, I'm not sure what else I can possibly do to prove my innocence in all of this," Bauer said. "I did not do what I was accused of, and every institution that our society has entrusted to rule on issues like these, like courts, judges, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, etc., they all agree with me. They've rejected every single claim made against me, even going as far as charging one of my accusers with a felony.
"If any evidence of any of these claims actually existed, I would have been charged, or at the very least arrested. But that never happened. What else do I have to do to prove that this entire situation has been a massive lie? This is insane. At what point do I get to go back to work and continue earning a living?"
Bauer, 33, was an All-Star in 2018 with Cleveland and won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award while with the Cincinnati Reds. He began 2021 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but his season ended that June when he was accused of sexual assault by another woman. That case was settled out of court in 2023.
Bauer pitched in Japan last year. He debuted for the Mexico City Red Devils on Monday, when he gave up four runs in three innings.
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