A trial date has been set for former Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez.
Vazquez, who is facing 25 charges stemming from an alleged relationship with an underaged girl, is scheduled for trial at 9 a.m. on Mar. 16. He will appear in front of Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott O. Mears.
There is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Mar. 2.
Vazquez was arrested on Sep. 17 and has been held in the Westmoreland County Prison without bail.
Vazquez is facing two dozen felonies: Statutory sex assault, 11 counts of unlawful contact with a minor, 10 felony counts of child pornography and two felony counts of corruption of a minor. Each could carry up to seven years of jail time and a fine of up to $15,000.
He also is facing a misdemeanor count of indecent assault of a person less than 16 year old.
In September, Vazquez admitted to police that he attempted to have sex with the underage girl in August of 2017. She was 13 at the time. He also admitted to sending naked photos of himself to her, but denied actually having sex with her. Police also found text messages from Vazquez to the victim expressing his desire to have sex with her. Those messages were sent as recently as July 2019.
The alleged victim is now 15. The charges that lead to Vazquez’s arrest in September came from Florida, where she now lives. Vazquez faces additional charges in Florida from the same victim.
Vazquez has been on the Pirates' restricted list since his arrest. He is not on the roster or collecting a salary.
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