Joliet man charged with criminal sexual assault of teen

A Joliet man has been charged with sexually assaulting and strangling a 14-year-old girl the day after Christmas.

On Sunday, Jose Ramirez-Rios, 18, was charged with criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated domestic battery and criminal sexual abuse of the 14-year-old girl in Joliet.

Officers with the Joliet Police Department responded to a report of the incident on Friday, according to a petition from Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Platek to deny Ramirez-Rios’ release from jail.

Platek’s petition alleged officers learned Ramirez-Rios had strangled the 14-year-old girl. Ramirez-Rios allegedly admitted to having sex with the victim but “claimed it was consensual,” Platek’s petition said.

Ramirez-Rios “lived in Mexico his whole life” until he was 16, Platek’s petition said.

Ramirez-Rios is purportedly “attending multiple stints of drug rehab for addiction,” Platek’s petition said.

Will County Judge Brian Barrett granted Platek’s request to keep Ramirez-Rios detained in jail under the SAFE-T Act based on the charges filed against him.

Ramirez-Rios’ next court date has been scheduled for Jan. 17 for either a preliminary hearing on whether he committed the offenses or the filing of an indictment.