Authorities say Felipe Vázquez admitted to sex with 13-year-old girl

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vázquez reportedly told authorities that he “had sex, but not really” with a 13-year-old girl in a 2017 assault, according to a criminal complaint filed in Pennsylvania, USA Today reported.

Vázquez admitted in the complaint to driving to the girl’s house in Scottdale, Pa., in 2017 when she was 13 and he was 26, USA Today reported. The complaint says he pulled her onto his lap and he sexually assaulted the child. The victim said the assault ended after about one minute, according to authorities.  

Vázquez said he assaulted the girl in his car, which he called “sex, but not really” in the complaint. Vázquez admitted to recognizing the girl from a photograph in the complaint, USA Today reported, but he said he did not remember the girl’s name.

{mosads} He also reportedly told authorities that he initially refused to communicate with her due to how young she appeared.

The girl moved from Scottdale to Lee County, Fla., after the initial assault, authorities said, USA Today reported.

However, Vázquez allegedly continued contacting the girl, who is now 15. Authorities said she received a video in July from him in which he is shown “performing a sex act,” the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) wrote in a statement. He also sent the victim messages that they would meet “after his baseball season was over.” 

The FDLE arrested Vázquez on Tuesday for “one count of computer pornography — solicitation of a child and one count of providing obscene material to minors.” The Pennsylvania State Police then added felony charges of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors and a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person under 16.  

It is unclear whether Vázquez will remain in Pennsylvania or Florida, USA Today reported.  

Pirates President Frank Coonelly said in a statement that Vázquez was immediately placed on administrative leave Tuesday.

“We take this matter, and these charges in particular, extremely seriously,” Coonelly said.

The Hill has reached out to the Pennsylvania State Police for comment.

If you are a sexual assault survivor you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or reach it online at hotline.rainn.org/online.