Former Pirates pitcher Vazquez found guilty of statutory sexual assault

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Former Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Felipe Vazquez was found guilty Thursday of 15 charges relating to sexual abuse of a minor, according to Chris Hoffman of KDKA Pittsburgh.

Vasquez faced 25 charges and was convicted of 10 counts of sexual abuse of children, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, one count of corruption of a minor, one count of indecent assault of someone under 16 years old, and one count of statutory sexual assault.

He was found not guilty on 10 counts of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.

Vazquez, 29, was arrested in September 2019 on charges of pornography and soliciting a child following allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a then-13-year-old girl. Police subsequently filed additional charges. The Pirates placed him on the restricted list immediately after his arrest.

Vazquez took the stand during his trial in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and denied knowing the girl was a minor.

The native of Venezuela is also facing charges in Florida and Missouri, according to Rich Cholodofsky of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Both of those cases are pending.

Florida police charged Vazquez with offenses similar to those filed in Pennsylvania due to allegations that he continued his relationship with the girl after she moved to Florida. Vazquez faces child pornography charges in Missouri after investigators alleged he exchanged sexually explicit messages with the girl while in St. Louis during a Pirates road trip in 2019.