Ex-pitcher Hall guilty on sex charge

Published 2:02 am Wednesday, June 17, 2009

FORT WORTH, Texas — Former major league outfielder Mel Hall was found guilty Tuesday of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he coached on an elite basketball team a decade ago.

A Tarrant County jury took about 90 minutes to convict the 48-year-old Hall on three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecency with a child.

The sentencing phase was to resume Wednesday after two witnesses testified Tuesday afternoon. Hall faces up to life in prison.

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Hall’s accuser, now 23, testified Monday that Hall engaged in sex acts with her in various places, including her home and Hall’s apartment.

Hall was arrested in 2007 by police in a Fort Worth suburb investigating allegations of sexual abuse.