N. Plainfield Officer Charged In Sex Assault At Kenliworth Hotel: Prosecutor

NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ — A North Plainfield police officer was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Kenilworth earlier this year, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

Mike Jean-Baptiste, 29, is charged with a single count of second-degree sexual assault.

The Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit investigation into this matter was initiated by a referral from the Kenilworth Police Department, according to Union County Assistant Prosecutor Scott Peterson, who is prosecuting the case.

Jean-Baptiste reportedly first encountered the adult victim while on duty on March 2 and allegedly sexually assaulted her later that night at The Kenilworth, a hotel just off the Garden State Parkway, Peterson said.

Jean-Baptiste was taken into custody without incident Monday afternoon in North Plainfield and lodged in Union County Jail pending a first appearance scheduled to take place today.

Anyone with information about this matter or other actions of Jean-Baptiste is urged to contact Special Victims Unit Sgt. Patricia Gusmano at 908-965- 3877. The Prosecutor’s Office thanked the Kenilworth Police Department for its assistance with this investigation.

Jean-Baptiste could face 5 to 10 years in state prison on the second-degree crime.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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