PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona woman who accused former major league pitcher Trevor Bauer sexual assault was accused of defrauding the baseball player.
An indictment unsealed Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court charges the woman with fraud and theft by extortion, both felonies, but does not provide specific details about the alleged crimes. It says Bauer and another person were defrauded in a scheme that potentially lasted several years.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault unless they report it publicly.
The woman sued Bauer in December 2022, accusing him of rape two years earlier which she said resulted in a pregnancy in late 2020.
Court records as of Tuesday afternoon did not list the woman’s attorney in the fraud case, and the attorney representing her in her trial did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking additional comment.
Bauer was never arrested or charged. He hit back, claiming he had consensual sex with the woman in 2020, then accusing her of faking the pregnancy to extort money from him.
His lawyers said the woman had a multimillion-dollar claim against him.
Bauer said he ultimately paid $8,761 for expenses he believed were related to the woman’s reported pregnancy and its subsequent termination.
The woman later said that she ultimately decided not to terminate the pregnancy, but had a miscarriage.
She is expected to be arraigned on the criminal charges next Friday.
In a recorded video statement released Tuesday, Bauer said he was innocent.
“What else do I have to do to prove that this whole situation is a huge lie?” It’s insane,” he said. “At what point can I go back to work and continue to earn a living?
Bauer attempted to revive his major league career after serving a suspension for violating the league’s policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. He was suspended after another woman accused him of beating and sexually abusing her – an accusation the pitcher also denied.
He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023 and played last year with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of the Japanese Pacific League. He signed a deal this spring to pitch five games for the Diablos Rojos of Mexico and made his first appearance in a spring exhibition against the New York Yankees.
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