A one-time supervisor at the Chicago Park District already facing recent similar allegations is now accused of “punishing” another 16-year-old lifeguard by making her work longer hours if she refused to have sex with him and “rewarding” her with gifts if she complied, prosecutors said Wednesday.

       The new criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse charges for Mauricio A. Ramirez stem from alleged assaults in 2013 and 2014, according to police and prosecutors.

       In October, Ramirez was charged in a separate attack of a 16-year-old girl who worked as a lifeguard for the district last summer. That case is pending.

       Ramirez, 32, appeared in court Wednesday before Judge Mary Marubio, who set bail at $50,000, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton. Ramirez, who was also ordered on electronic monitoring, will need to post $5,000 in order to be released.

       In court Wednesday, prosecutors said that the victim was also 16 when the alleged assaults began, in the summer of 2013, after meeting Ramirez at a training class in March of that year.

       A couple of months later, in July, they were at a party together, where she had been drinking, prosecutors said. Her mom was supposed to give her a ride home but she walked away before it ended, and he followed her, offering multiple times to drive her home before eventually picking her up and placing her inside his car, prosecutors said.

       After she’d repeatedly told him to take her home, Ramirez drove to a motel, and after he’d gone inside while she was still in the car’s passenger seat because she was intoxicated, he went back outside and scooped her up and took her to the motel room, where he sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

       Ramirez allegedly continued to assault her three to five times a week until September 2013, while they worked together as lifeguards, prosecutors said.

       When she would decline to have sexual contact with him, he would “punish” her by extending her shift or making her perform “extensive workouts,’’ prosecutors said. When she complied, he would give her “gifts,’’ and cut her hours shorter.

       The beaches closed for the season and she didn’t see him again until the next summer, when Ramirez continued to assault her three to five times a week, including once in June or July 2014 in a shower room — stopping only when someone walked in on them, prosecutors said.

       Another time, in a locker room, Ramirez allegedly “put the victim against the lockers’' and sexually assaulted her, prosecutors said.

       In 2015, the teen told her boyfriend about the attacks, but nothing was done.

       This year, she contacted the Inspector General’s Office, the state’s attorney’s office and police after a friend of hers read an article about Ramirez being accused in a separate, similar attack, prosecutors said.

       The Park District first came under heavy scrutiny after WBEZ-91.5 FM earlier this year exposed wide-ranging claims of sexual misconduct among pool and beach employees. The Park District in August said it had disciplined more than 40 employees connected to the unit, including nine workers tied to an investigation of sexual misconduct and abuse.

       In October, Mike Kelly, the Chicago Park District CEO, resigned the same day Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for him to step down over handling of the harassment allegations among lifeguards.

       In the wake of that widespread criticism, Park District Board President Avis LaVelle announced her resignation at a board meeting Nov. 10.

       Ramirez, who was arrested Tuesday in the 1600 block of West Cullerton Street, in the same block where he lives, is due back in court on Dec. 21.

       rsobol@chicagotribune.com

       ‘That’s when I proceeded to punch him in the face’: Key witness in Jussie Smollett trial testifies about actor’s alleged plot to stage hate crime

       1h

       Chicago drops COVID-19 vaccine mandate lawsuit against police union

       1h

       Criminal Justice ‘That’s when I proceeded to punch him in the face’: Key witness in Jussie Smollett trial testifies about actor’s alleged plot to stage hate crime

       1h

       Ask Amy Ask Amy: Sibling’s spousal diss shakes sister to the core

       12:05 AM

       Breaking News Four things to know about the Mississippi abortion case and how the Supreme Court decision might affect Illinois

       2h