Elvin Sanchez

Cleveland police officer Elvin Sanchez pleaded guilty Monday to charges stemming from an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

(Cory Shaffer, Northeast Ohio Media Group)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland police officer pleaded guilty Monday to misdemeanor sex charges involving a 14-year-old girl.

Common Pleas Judge Nancy Fuerst spared Elvin Sanchez jail time, but ordered him to register as a sex offender for 15 years after he pleaded guilty to sexual imposition, attempted importuning and possession of criminal tools, according to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

Fuerst sentenced Sanchez to two years of probation. The officer then resigned from his position as a patrolman in the city's First District, police spokeswoman Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said.

Sanchez was scheduled to begin trial Monday on felony gross sexual imposition, importuning and possessing criminal tools charges.

The charges stem from a relationship Sanchez had with a 14-year-old girl while he worked off-duty at a private West Park high school in 2014, according to prosecutors.

The two started exchanging sexually explicit text messages in December of that year, and Sanchez also touched the girl inappropriately, prosecutors said.

Sanchez's lawyer, Joseph Patituce, said in a phone interview Monday that Sanchez agreed last week to a prosecutor's offer to drop the felony charges to misdemeanors

"[Sanchez] takes full responsibility for his actions, but this wasn't a felony," he said.

Sanchez had been placed on unpaid administrative leave until his case was settled.

Sanchez was convicted of misdemeanor theft in 2003 in Parma Municipal Court. He said he was going through a divorce and was "not in a good state of mind," according to his personnel file.

Sanchez is also scheduled to appear Jan. 25 in Parma Municipal Court to change his plea on a domestic violence charge, according to court records. Sanchez pleaded not guilty at his arraignment April 29.

Update: This post was updated with a comment from Elvin Sanchez's lawyer and information from Parma Municipal Court.