A Vernon cop was arrested on Tuesday for having sexual contact with a domestic violence victim. According to the New Jersey Herald, on May 11, 2019 Emanuel Rivera responded to a residence for a domestic violence incident and the victim told officers she would be spending the night at a friend's house in Vernon.
The victim reportedly couldn't get in contact with her friend and chose to sleep in her car near her friend's home. That same night while Rivera was still on-duty, he allegedly found the victim in her car, started speaking with her, said “I’m just looking to (expletive)," reached down her shirt, and groped her.
According to the New Jersey Herald, the victim said she was nervous being outside her friend's house and Rivera instructed her to follow his patrol vehicle to an abandoned church in town. He then allegedly told her to get out of the her car and began groping and kissing her before forcing his hand down the front of her pants. The victim reportedly said she pulled Rivera's hand out and he stopped. Rivera then went back to work but allegedly told the victim she should meet him in the same spot later that night.
An investigation into the sexual contact case began in February and GPS on Rivera's car reportedly confirms that his patrol vehicle was at the location the victim detailed. Rivera was arrested by the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office and he is facing charges of second-degree official misconduct and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact by coercion.
Rivera has reportedly been with the Vernon Township Police Department since 2013. He previously made headlines in July of 2019 for shooting a pet dog but was cleared of any wrongdoing in that incident.
Read the New Jersey Herald story here.