Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Felipe Vazquez was denied bail Wednesday following his arrest last week on felony charges, which included sexual assault of a minor.
After an arraignment in front of District Judge Charles D. Moore, Vazquez was ordered to be held without bond and was escorted by sheriff deputies back to Westmoreland County Prison while in handcuffs.
Vazquez, 28, was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police last week on an arrest warrant from Florida. The warrant not only stemmed from illicit electronic communication with an underage girl, he reportedly told investigators he attempted to have sex with the girl in 2017.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Vazquez smiled upon leaving the courtroom and told reporters, "I don't want to say anything."
According to the newspaper, Vazquez is charged with statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person younger than 16. He also is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in his vehicle in August 2017.
The mother of the girl, now 16, uncovered correspondence between her daughter and Vazquez after the family moved from Pennsylvania to Florida, ultimately leading to the pitcher's arrest. Vazquez, who has been on leave from the Pirates, reportedly made contact with the girl as recently as July.
--Field Level Media