MEXICO CITY (AP) — A judge in Mexico ruled on Friday that former soccer player Omar Bravo will stand trial for allegedly abusing a teenage girl.
The 45-year-old Bravo, who played for Mexico in the 2006 World Cup and competed in the 2004 Olympics, was arrested last Sunday in Zapopan, a suburban area next to Guadalajara, one of the three biggest cities in the country.
Bravo allegedly abused the 17-year-old daughter of his girlfriend over the past six
years. If convicted, the former striker could face a sentence between five and up to 10 years in prison.
The judge ruled that due to the nature of the alleged crime, Bravo must remain in prison at least for the next six months. In Mexico, pretrial detention is applied if the accused was considered a danger to society or the process.
"For these types of crimes, due to their seriousness, the law provides these types of measures. Six months is a likely time limit because if the trial continues longer, he will have to spend more time in pretrial detention,” said the victim's lawyer Juan Soltero.
The defense led by Soltero presented 42 screenshots of conversations between Bravo and the girl and also a video recording.
Bravo played 66 matches with the Mexican national team and scored 15 goals. He retired in 2018 as Chivas' all-time leading scorer. Chivas is one of the two most popular teams in Mexico.
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