Angela Schaeffer says four Roxbury and Hopatcong police officers harassed her with sexually explicit messages and one of the officers sexually abused her
A former informant has filed a civil rights lawsuit against three police officers and two police departments. (File photo) NEWARK -- A Rockaway Township woman is suing three police officers in Hopatcong and Roxbury, claiming she was sexually abused, sexually harassed and falsely arrested while working as a confidential informant.
Angela Schaeffer filed a $2 million civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Newark last week against Roxbury officers Thomas Van Houten and Richard Ricco, Hopatcong officer Ryan Tracey, Hopatcong Police Chief Robert Brennan, Roxbury Police Chief James Simonetti, the Borough of Hopatcong and Roxbury Township.
Schaeffer said that after working for a year-and-a-half as a confidential informant for both Hopatcong and Roxbury, she was falsely arrested in May 2014 on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of drugs. She said she spent seven days in jail after she was initially unable to post bail.
Two months later, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office dismissed the charges, she said.
During her time working as a confidential informant, she said, Ricco, Tracey and Van Houten verbally abused her and Van Houten sexually abused her "by using his position of authority for sex."
Simonetti, the Roxbury police chief, said of the lawsuit, "I have not received a claim, and due to it being pending litigation, I cannot comment."
Anthony M. Bucco, the attorney for Roxbury Township, said, "I haven't seen the litigation and I'm not going to comment. The township will defend like we do withe every lawsuit."
Van Houten and Ricco could not be reached for comment. Tracey, Brennan and the attorney for Hopatcong did not return phone calls and email messages seeking comment.
Van Houten was not charged criminally, but he resigned from his job and no action was taken against him, according to Schaeffer's attorney, Jeffrey Patti, who filed the lawsuit on her behalf.
The three officers continually sent her "harassing, sexually explicit and abusive" electronic and verbal communications via cell phone, texting and social media, Schaeffer said.
She added that she kept many of the electronic communications sent to her, including nude photographs sent by Van Houten and the officers seized her cell phone and erased evidence during the false arrest.
Schaeffer said she had rebuffed the defendants' advances and began complaining about them.
As a result, she said, the three "purposely and maliciously" disclosed her identity to individuals involved in investigations, placing her and her family in "extreme danger."
Because the men were aware she kept the electronic communications, Schaeffer said, they "trumped up" the false accusations and arrested her at her place of employment.
Schaeffer said she then initiated an internal affairs investigation and Van Houten resigned from his position.
In the lawsuit, Schaeffer and Patti accuse the Roxbury and Hopatcong police departments of violating Schaeffer's civil rights.
The suit also accuses the defendants of federal and state constitutional violations, including her right to be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures. It also accuses the defendants of conspiracy and false arrest/malicious prosecution.
Ben Horowitz may be reached at bhorowitz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @HorowitzBen. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
