Pirates closer Váquez arrested on child sex charges

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates closer Felipe Vázquez was arrested Tuesday on multiple felony charges, including statutory sexual assault, soliciting a child and pornography, and was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball.

Vázquez was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police on one count of computer pornography/solicitation of a child and one count of providing obscene material to minors, both felonies, stemming from an investigation in Florida. He was later charged in Westmoreland County, which is located east of Pittsburgh, with felony counts 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 years old.

It was not immediately known whether the charges in Pennsylvania were related to or independent of the Florida investigation.

“We are in the process of reviewing both the Pennsylvania and Florida charging documents, as well as the underlying facts of the matter,” Vázquez’s lawyers, Jay Reisinger and Michael Comber, said in a statement. “At this time, any comment would be premature.”

Vázquez was arraigned via video from the Allegheny County jail, wearing a dark-colored sweatshirt and glasses, according to the Pittsburgh Post-gazette. He was denied bond, with the judge saying she believed Vázquez was a flight risk, the newspaper reported.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it began investigating the 28-year-old in August after learn

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AP DAVID ZALUBOWSKI In this Sept. 1, file photo, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vázquez works against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning of a baseball game in Denver. Vázquez has been arrested on charges of pornography and soliciting a child.