Ex-NJ Case Worker Admits To Sexually Exploiting Victims

TRENTON, NJ — A former state case worker, who lives in South Jersey, admitted in court to coercing vulnerable women into sexual conduct through the job, authorities announced Friday.

Gilberto Ortiz, of Woodbury, pleaded guilty May 16 to one of five counts in an indictment against him, for second-degree pattern of official misconduct. Ortiz had worked for the New Jersey Department of Children and Families.

Ortiz targeted women under investigation or supervision of the agency, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. The man made unwanted sexual advances and tried intimidating women into engaging in sexual acts with him, authorities said.

Prosecutors will recommend sentencing of five years in state prison with no parole eligibility. His sentencing is set for July 14 in Camden County Superior Court.

Formerly a bilingual family-services specialist, Ortiz was charged on March 18, 2020, following a state investigation into allegations of misconduct. He was suspended from employment and subsequently resigned.

The investigating agency — the AG's Office of Public Integrity & Accountability — initially looked into allegations from a month prior. In February 2020, Ortiz was assigned to a case involving a woman and her young child. Ortiz, 53, made sexual advances toward the woman during home visits while warning her that she was involved in a case of serious negligence, the AG's office said.

Ortiz indicated that he would "help her" if she had a relationship with him, authorities said. During one visit, Ortiz touched the victim's breasts and genital area without her consent, and he later sent her sexually explicit pictures and videos of himself, according to the AG's office.

State investigators became aware of other victims as their probe into Ortiz progressed. In March 2019, Ortiz began calling and texting a woman after being assigned to her case, asking her to go out to eat with him or go on dates, officials said. He would comment on her appearance and sometimes embrace the victim, all while frequently pairing his requests with reminders that he represented DCF and her children could be taken into custody.

Ortiz's plea agreement also includes a forfeiture order banning him for life from public employment or holding public office in New Jersey.