Former New York Yankees baseball player and local youth instructor Rosendo “Rusty” Torres was convicted Thursday of sexually abusing an 8-year-old girl two years ago, and now faces up to 35 years in prison.
Torres, who will be sentenced Oct. 7, faces a maximum of seven years each on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse. The jury in Nassau County acquitted Torres on charges of abusing a second girl, who was under 11 years old.
Torres sexually abused the 8-year-old girl while performing his duties as a youth baseball coach for the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau prosecutors said.
The 65-year-old was arrested at his North Massapequa home by Nassau County police on May 8, 2012 after the victim reported the abuse to her parents, who then notified police.
Prosecutors said the abuse occurred from April 2012 to May 2012 during baseball practice sessions in Plainview.
At the time of his arrest, police said Torres and the victim were alone, but “there were several other children in the general area.”
Torres, who batted .212 during his nine-year MLB career, which included stints with Cleveland, the then-California Angels, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, made a living as a baseball instructor on Long Island for more than a dozen years. The Town of Oyster Bay employed him as a coach, as did several other organizations.
Oyster Bay suspended the Puerto Rico-native without pay following his arrest. A town spokesman wasn’t immediately available to comment on Torres’ current employment status.
Torres, who was anemic at the plate during his playing days, is perhaps best known for his inclusion in a trade that brought Graig Nettles to the Bronx.
