A Bowling Green teenager admitted to sexually abusing a younger relative in a case in which he was prosecuted as an adult.

Roman Eduardo Lopez-Ramirez, 18, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Warren Circuit Court to one count of first-degree sexual abuse (victim younger than 12), accepting an agreement that recommends a five-year prison sentence.

As part of the plea deal, Lopez-Ramirez will have to register as a sex offender for 20 years, though the Mexican national will likely be subject to deportation after completing his prison sentence.

Two counts of first-degree rape (victim younger than 12), two counts of incest and an additional count of first-degree sexual abuse (victim younger than 12) were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, court records show.

The accusations against Lopez-Ramirez date back to July 2014, and were brought to the attention of authorities after an adult relative of Lopez-Ramirez sought help for the teen from a therapist, according to a Bowling Green Police Department report.

Lopez-Ramirez told city police in 2014 that he had been grounded at home and considered himself “locked up” – unable to play video games, use his phone or participate in after-school activities, court records show.

With nothing to occupy his time, Lopez-Ramirez told police he began to feel “bored.”

He told police that he would wait for the juvenile identified in police records as the victim to fall asleep before sneaking into the child’s room at night and engage in sexual contact with her. Lopez-Ramirez told police the child never woke up during the encounter, according to a BGPD incident report.

“(Lopez-Ramirez) stated that ‘I did what I did, something I intentionally did and should not have done,’ ” the city police report states.

Authorities interviewed the victim, who said she had been touched inappropriately while she was in bed, according to police records.

Lopez-Ramirez was 16 at the time of the abuse, according to court records. 

The case was transferred in 2015 from Warren County Attorney Amy Milliken, whose office handles juvenile prosecutions, to Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Cohron, whose office prosecuted Lopez-Ramirez as an adult.

A grand jury indicted Lopez-Ramirez in December when he was 17.

State law allows minors to be tried as adults if they are accused of committing a certain classification of crime, particularly for offenses that include murder, first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, first-degree robbery and offenses involving a firearm.

If he had been convicted as charged on all counts, Lopez-Ramirez faced up to 50 years in prison or life with no chance at parole for 20 years.

He will be formally sentenced Oct. 24 by Warren Circuit Judge Steve Wilson.

— Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.