Sentencing for Former Mount Vernon Baseball Coach, Sex Act with a Minor
During the summer of 2021, news broke of alleged 'persuading, inducing, enticing and coercing of a teen to engage in sexual activity from a Westchester County baseball coach. On August 12, 2021, the FBI made an announcement that then 30-year-old Robert Pope of Mount Vernon, NY, was arrested on the aforementioned allegations.
In June of 2021, Pope was also charged with three counts of a criminal sexual act. Following this arrest, and the potential for additional victims, an investigation was led by the Westchester County District Attorney's Office with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of N.Y.
The initial criminal complaint stated that between the months of September 2020 and April 2021, Pope, who at the time was employed as a baseball coach, had contact with the then 16-year-old student by cell, and convinced the teen to meet on more than one occasion in Westchester County to engage in sexual activities.
Further investigation resulted in the discovery of an incident on April 11, 2021, at approximately 2:13 pm where Pope contacted the student expressing 'his desire to see the victim. The defendant then traveled to the victim’s location, where the defendant subjected the victim to sexual activity.'
Sentencing in Baseball Coach's Sex Act With Minor Case
On September 22, 2022, the now 31-year-old Mount Vernon resident, Robert Pope, was sentenced to the maximum term of four years in state prison for engaging in sexual activity with a minor. The announcement from the Westchester County District Attorney's office came early Thursday morning.
District Attorney Rocah shared the following with regard to the sentencing:
Today’s sentencing serves as notice that there will be no sanctuary in Westchester for anyone who preys upon minors or children - our most vulnerable of victims. Our office is committed to helping survivors of sexual abuse while working to ensure abusers are fully held accountable.
Pope entered into a guilty plea back in March of 2022, to Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree. In addition to the 10-year sentence, Pope will also be subject to 10 years of post-release supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender; this is all part of the report from the DA.
37 High-Risk Hudson Valley Sex Offenders Recently Moved in New York State
These 11 New York State Counties Have Most Registered Sex Offenders