U.S. baseball star convicted of sex crime signs with Mexican team

“I admit that I had sexual contact,”

claimed star pitcher Luke Heimlich before unleashing a controversy that almost ended his career. Once chosen to play in the Major League Baseball, the college baseball player fell from grace in the public eye, having abused his six-year-old niece at the age of 15 in 2011 .

Ever since the news was revealed in 2017 , Heimlich was labeled as a “low risk sexual offender” (deemed unlikely to commit another sexual offense) and was banned from participating in the major league baseball series, as well as the minor league and the Taiwan league.

However, he found shelter with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos ( Owls of Both Laredos ) who signed him to participate this season in the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) . “We chose him for his talent, but specially because we believe in second chances,” said José Antonio Mansur , the team’s president. “We believe that he has already repaid his debt to society.”

In order to hire the pitcher, the LMB conducted an investigation which required for the athlete to sign a charter of good conduct.

“Heimlich told us that he had not really committed the crime and that he had only acknowledged it so as to not affect his family relations any further. We have chosen to believe him,” claimed Mansur, recognizing that both the team and the pitcher could be subject to criticism from both the press and baseball fans.

However, he trusts that the media will tell his story accurately. He stressed that the baseball player is perfectly capable of playing professional baseball and that the matter had been settled through a legal agreement in Washington.

Mansur described Heimlich as “a great kid,” who was able to throw a ball at between 96 and 97 mph in the bullpen . “Everyone deserves a second chance, as long as they earn it,” commented Félix Fermín, manager of the Tecolotes .

Heimlich had his debut during a match between the Tecolotes and Unión Laguna yesterday, a few miles away from the Mexico-U.S. border.

Children aged 2-11 years: Most common victims of sexual abuse

dm