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(CNN) - The Pittsburgh Pirates' star pitcher, Venezuelan Felipe Vázquez, was arrested on Tuesday for a felony of soliciting sex from a child using computer devices or services, reported in Florida, and also faces serious charges in Pennsylvania, according to statements of the authorities and judicial documents.
Vazquez, 28, a two-time All-Star who is among the National League leaders in salvages this season, was arrested in Pittsburgh for a felony order by Lee County, Florida, according to a Department statement of Florida Law Enforcement.
It also faces a charge of sending obscene material to a minor, according to the statement.
Vázquez did not file a statement in court, according to Pennsylvania State Police Agent Stephen J. Limani.
The pitcher was also charged Tuesday in Pennsylvania with legal sexual assault of a person under 16 by someone who is at least 11 years of age, illegal contact with a minor, corruption of a minor by a defendant who is 18 or older, and indecent aggression against a person under 16 years old. The first two charges are serious first degree crimes.
Vázquez's lawyers provided the following comment to CNN:
"We are in the process of reviewing the Pennsylvania and Florida charges documents, as well as the underlying facts of the matter," said attorneys Jay K. Reisinger and Michael A. Comber. "At this time, any comment would be premature."
Vázquez was denied bail, according to a spokesman for the charges court in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The president of the Pirates, Frank Coonelly, said the office of the Major League Baseball commissioner placed Vázquez on administrative leave.
"We take this matter, and these charges in particular, extremely seriously," Coonelly said in a statement. “We need to be respectful of everyone involved and the ongoing legal process. As a result, the organization, our staff and the players cannot comment further at this time. ” On Tuesday, Pittsburgh pitcher Chris Archer called the accusations "very, very serious."
"Right now, as far as we know, they are only accusations," he said. “There is not much we can say. But I do have a 14-year-old sister, so it's something that hits the mark. ”
The team "talked about many different emotions that were raised today in many different places," added manager Clint Hurdle. They also discussed ways in which they can take responsibility on and off the field, he said.
Vazquez's locker at the PNC Park stadium in Pittsburgh has been cleared, a Pirates spokesman told CNN Sports on Tuesday. The posters with the left-handed pitcher in the stadium have also been removed.
Sex videos and relationship with a minor
Florida authorities and the Pennsylvania State Police filed a search warrant at the Vázquez department in Pittsburgh, where several electronic devices were seized, according to the statement.
The investigation began in August after authorities received information that Vázquez had "a reported sexual relationship" with a Florida resident who was 13 at the time, according to the statement. The victim is now 15 years old.
The statement says that the girl continued to have "a relationship with Vázquez through text messages and received a video of him in July in which he is seen performing a sexual act." Vázquez allegedly told the victim by text message that they would meet to have sex after the baseball season, the statement said.
Vázquez allegedly sent the victim photographs and a video from his cell phone on July 16, according to a sworn statement from the state court filed in Florida. The Pirates had a game in St. Louis on that date.
The affidavit said the photos and video did not show the suspect's face, but the authorities were able to identify him through "numerous tattoos" on his body that are "unique and distinguishable."
The girl's mother discovered the photos, videos and exchanges and sent a text message to Vázquez on July 23 to tell her that her daughter was a minor, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit indicates that Vázquez's cell phone was the “source of origin” of the evidence and that the victim referred to him by name in the exchanges.
The criminal record documentation for the Pennsylvania case indicates that the alleged incident occurred in Scottsdale County on August 1, a day off on the computer. The complaint says that Vázquez is waiting for a preliminary hearing on those charges.
Vazquez is being held at the Allegheny County Jail and faces extradition to Florida, authorities said.
The Venezuelan player, who represented his team in the 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland, had a 5-1 record, with 28 saves and an 1.65 ERA this season. His 37 saves last season were the most a left-handed pitcher in the history of his team.
Evan Simko-Bednarski and Jill Martin of CNN contributed to this report.
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