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Former New Jersey corrections officer Erick Melgar. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

TRENTON -- A fired corrections officer at New Jersey's only women's prison will pay $75,000 to six inmates who accused the officer of physical and sexual abuse, court records show.

Former Senior Corrections Officer Erick Melgar, who was accused of abuse by more than a dozen women identified in an NJ Advance Media special report on sexual abuse claims at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, maintains his innocence, according to his attorney.

But his case -- along with more recent charges filed by prosecutors in Hunterdon County against corrections officers -- has led to calls for better oversight at the women's prison and a review of internal investigations into sexual abuse allegations.

Internal records obtained by NJ Advance Media showed the Department of Corrections substantiated claims that Melgar had struck, groped and sexually abused women at the prison between 2009 and 2010.

The officer was fired over the allegations but never formally charged with a crime.

The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office investigated -- and later dropped -- the case, though Prosecutor Anthony Kearns recently indicated his office was re-examining multiple cases at the prison "going back to 2010."

The lawsuit was brought by inmates Therese Afdahl, Tasha Canada, Barbara Clark, Michelle Ellis, Joann Satorious and Robin Streater, who accused the officer of varying degrees of physical and sexual abuse.

Ronald Ricci, an attorney for Melgar, previously told NJ Advance Media the women had "very significant criminal records" and noted there was no DNA or physical evidence proving Melgar's guilt.

Ricci said in an e-mail on Tuesday his client "did not admit to any liability and consented to (an) amount which he estimated would be his legal expenses and costs."

The consent judgment signed by Melgar is different than a civil settlement.

Marc Haefner, an attorney for the inmates who filed suit, said his clients had refused to enter into any settlement that would include a confidentiality agreement preventing them from publicly raising the alarm about the alleged abuse.

"The case clearly was significant in terms of the issues it raised about treatment of inmates" at Edna Mahan, Haefner said, adding that the women hoped the issues their suit raised would "help set the parameters of how carefully the state should be following its own policies" regarding sex abuse investigations.

Haefner said they planned to appeal a judge's ruling throwing out claims against officials at the state Department of Corrections, which had argued it was not liable for damages because it had fired Melgar after the internal investigation.

A separate federal lawsuit filed by another inmate identified in court records as a victim of Melgar's abuse is also on appeal.

In January, the county prosecutor announced the indictments of four officers at Edna Mahan who were accused of sexually assaulting inmates. One has since pleaded guilty to official misconduct.

Following NJ Advance Media's report, state lawmakers called on the New Jersey's attorney general to open an inquiry into conditions at the prison.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.