Rays shortstop Wander Franco faces judge as officials accuse him of having sex with a 14-year-old

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco has appeared in a Dominican court to face allegations that he had a brief relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her mother a small car and thousands of dollars in exchange for her consent, according to cou...

PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic -- Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco appeared in a Dominican court Friday to face allegations that he had a brief relationship with a 14-year-old girl and gave her mother a small car and thousands of dollars in exchange for her consent, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The 22-year-old All-Star is accused of commercial sexual exploitation and money laundering. A judge who is scheduled to issue a ruling in the case on Friday has several options: release Franco on bond, temporarily arrest him, prevent him from leaving the Dominican Republic or demand that he make occasional appearances until the investigation or a trial has ended.

The girl’s mother faces the same charges as Franco. The AP is not naming the woman in order to preserve her daughter's privacy.

Franco, who was detained Monday in the northern province of Puerto Plata, hasn’t been charged with any crimes. The judge has received a nearly 600-page document detailing the evidence that prosecutors gathered during a monthslong investigation.

The athlete's lawyers have not commented other than saying that Franco was “doing fine.”