Assemblyman Vito Lopez, 'I wish it was legal to sleep with under-age girls'

Vito Lopez

A powerful New York lawmaker is accused of saying that he found a 14-year-old intern so 'sexy' that he wished he lived in a state where it was legal to sleep with underage girls.

Brooklyn Democrat Vito J. Lopez, 71 told his twisted fantasy to at least one person from his district office, a source told the New York Daily News.

The 14-year-old girl he allegedly made the crude comments about is the daughter of Brooklyn Judge Pamela Fisher.

Fisher helped Lopez get elected and the politician and her family remain close, reported the New York Daily News.

After the comments were reported to police by another staffer the young intern was interviewed - she told investigators she had only been working for Lopez for six days.

She also told police that she had never heard him say anything inappropriate - authorities determined 'nothing of a criminal nature' took place, a source said.

Today Sonia Ossorio, president of the National Organization for Women’s New York City chapter has called for his resignation as a result of the allegations.

The claims add to the growing sex scandal engulfing the once-powerful politician, who was first elected in 1984.

Mr Lopez, has been in embroiled in sexual harassment claims in the past and only a few days ago the newspaper revealed that police were notified after he told one 24-year-old intern, Chloe Rivera to dress 'sexier.'

The former Brooklyn Democratic Party boss reportedly pointed to Fisher’s daughter while talking to Rivera and said Rivera needed to 'dress like that intern' and should 'go shopping for sexier clothes.'

When Rivera’s mother heard about the comment, she felt it necessary to alert police last July and Rivera also notified authorities.

His comments prompted Rivera and another memeber of the team to quit, reported the Daily News.

They also filed a complaint against Lopez with the Assembly ethics commission.

After it was upheld by the commission Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver stripped Lopez of his leadership positions.

But it also revealed a second sexual harassment complaint from two women who worked for Lopez and received a $103,000 taxpayer settlement after putting forward their allegations.

Silver was later forced to admit he made the wrong decision giving the June settlement the go-ahead - while defending the payment as 'legally correct and ethical,' Silver acknowledged that keeping the deal quiet was not the right move.

Lopez was forced to resign from his party boss job, but he was re-elected to the Assembly in November - he is now the subject of a criminal probe.

Neither Lopez nor his lawyer returned messages seeking comments from the New York Daily News.

A spokesman for the state ethics commission declined to comment.