Sex cop, in sex rap Allegedly pinched female partner in butt

A detective who investigates sex crimes is accused of groping his female partner in their Manhattan office, the Daily News has learned.

Detective Abel Perez was placed on modified assignment this week, his gun and shield taken from him, after Internal Affairs learned of the accusation — that he pinched his partner's buttocks.

Sources said the alleged victim was reluctant to report the incident because she was afraid of getting Perez in trouble.

A police source said Lt. Austin Morange, the commanding officer for the NYPD's Special Victims Division's Manhattan office, was not at work when the incident occurred, and only learned about it from the detective's husband, a fellow NYPD lieutenant who is a friend.

The alleged victim's husband suggested Morange pair the detectives with different partners. Later that day, the woman showed up for her shift and had a similar conversation with her boss.

"She didn't want him to report it because she didn't want the guy to get into trouble," the source said. "She works with him. She's friendly with him."

Morange respected the accuser's wishes and didn't contact Internal Affairs.

The unit, however, was notified a short time later, though it is not clear who called in the incident.

Perez, 44, joined the NYPD in 1997. He could not be reached for comment.

Michael Palladino, head of the detectives union, said “apparently something occurred, but I don't yet know the full extent of it.”

“Various accusations are being made, so at this point we are trying to get to the bottom of exactly what's going on,” he added.

Special Victims has been reeling from withering criticism of how it investigates sex crimes.

In November, Deputy Chief Judith Harrison was tapped to run SVD, replacing Deputy Chief Michael Osgood, who was transferred to a Staten Island patrol assignment. Osgood has since filed for retirement.

Osgood, who ran SVD for eight years, had won praise from women's rights advocates. But he also ruffled feathers in the NYPD by pushing hard for more resources and better-trained investigators.

A Department of Investigation report earlier this year blasted the NYPD's handling of rape cases.

The report included memos from Osgood that were critical of the department's backlog of some 1,400 cases and staffing levels he viewed as too low.

The NYPD has been adding more investigators to the division since then.

In announcing Harrison's appointment, Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea lauded Osgood's work but said Harrison, the first woman and first black cop to run SVD, will bring with her a “fresh perspective.”