Clifton cop pleads guilty to sexually assaulting teenage relative, forfeits employment

An eight-year veteran of the Clifton Police Department admitted he sexually assaulted a teenage relative on multiple occasions, and he agreed to forfeit his right to public employment, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Frank Castro-Ramirez, 40, who lives in the city where he served as an officer, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault, dodging multiple other counts of sexual assault and two counts of child endangerment, which were included in an indictment handed down by a grand jury last year, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

The teen reported the abuse to Clifton police in May 2021, narrowly one month after Castro-Ramirez had last assaulted the victim, ending a pattern of abuse that began in 2019, when the relative was 14 years old, court documents state.

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As part of his guilty plea, Castro-Ramirez agreed to a 10-year prison sentence, as well as lifelong supervised parole under Megan's Law, but a judge has not yet decided the terms of his sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 15.

Castro-Ramirez was suspended without pay in June 2021.

Nicholas Katzban is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: katzban@northjersey.com

Twitter: @nicholaskatzban

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Clifton cop pleads guilty to sexually assaulting minor, forfeits badge