Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez has lost an appeal of his conviction of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl and will continue to serve his prison sentence, according to reports.
Last year, Vazquez was sentenced to two to four years in state prison for the sexual assault of the teenage girl after being found guilty on 15 counts, including statutory sexual assault, indecent assault of a minor, and sexual abuse of a child, CPXI-TV reported.
The former MLB player appealed the judgment saying that the girl misled him on how old she was, though he admitted to the sexual relationship.
Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP
However, the prosecution countered by saying that Vazquez constantly called her “kid” in his text messages to her.
Vazquez’ legal team also claimed that the prosecution and judge in the original case prejudiced the jury by forcing him to walk like a woman to demonstrate how the victim walked, according to TribLive.
During the original trial, Vasquez claimed that he thought the girl was of legal age because of the “sassy” and sexual way she walked. The prosecution and judge then ordered the ex-player to demonstrate what he meant. Vasquez protested the demand, but the judge insisted.
“Forcing this man to imitate a woman before an all-white jury had little relevance,” Attorney Jon Pushinsky told the appeals court panel of judges.
Felipe Vazquez, #73 of the Pittsburgh Pirates, reacts after giving up a home run in the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on September 3, 2019, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The appeals panel disagreed with that and other arguments for reversing the conviction and denied the motion.
Vasquez will have to serve his sentence and the subsequent two-year probation afterward. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The 30-year-old two-time Pirates All-Star was immediately placed on the MLB restricted list when he was arrested in 2021 and has not been eligible to play since.
The now-former Pirates closer was named an All-Star in 2018 and 2019 and tallied 175 saves in a five-year career with the team.
The native Venezuelan signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract with Pittsburgh before the 2018 season.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston