Top volunteer at Sullivan nonprofit that helps runaways resigns after details of underage rape case resurface
Nicholas Mock, who was training to fill the role of vice president for Hope Alive 845, resigned on Monday, according to the nonprofit’s founder Domingo Ramos.
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A News 12 investigation into a rape case involving a 13-year-old girl has led to the resignation of a top volunteer for a nonprofit in Sullivan County that largely works with at-risk youth.
Nicholas Mock, who was training to fill the role of vice president for Hope Alive 845, resigned on Monday, according to the nonprofit’s founder Domingo Ramos.
“I am both saddened and shocked by the recent revelations regarding the background of a volunteer member associated with Hope Alive 845,” Ramos wrote in a statement shared to Facebook. That individual is no longer affiliated with Hope Alive 845 in any capacity.”
News 12 learned on Monday that Mock was arrested in 2013 for allegedly raping an underage teen in the Town of Wallkill.
“We did a background check. Nothing came up on him. I’m just totally shocked by this. We took immediate action. He immediately resigned,” Ramos says.
Mock started with the nonprofit seven months ago and worked on two cases involving missing adults in Newburgh, according to Ramos. Ramos says Mock did not have any contact with children through his volunteer work with the nonprofit.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Mock was convicted in the case for misdemeanor child endangerment and sentenced to probation.
News 12 reached out to Mock for comment. He issued a statement saying, "I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize to the organization as a whole. No, the organization was not aware of my past - because I have worked hard to move forward from that time in my life. I believe we should be judged not by who were once were, but by who we have become and how we choose to live moving forward."
It’s not the first time that people convicted in child sex abuse cases have been found to be working with kids in the Hudson Valley.
As News 12 reported earlier this year, the owner of popular martial arts studios in Dutchess and Ulster counties, Robert Leclerc, was convicted of rape after his own son, Tyler Leclerc, was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing children.
Sen. Rob Rollison is behind a bill that would tighten up the requirements for background checks.
“We need to close the loopholes wherever they exist in our criminal justice system to protect our communities from further victimization,” says Rollison. “This is another instance where individuals who have been convicted of offenses that are a threat to others, especially our children, need to be made available to prospective employers and organizations. This should be available regardless of the plea outcome and if they don’t qualify for the Sex Offender Registry.”
Ramos says he’s equally concerned since Mock’s misdemeanor conviction didn’t appear on a background check.
“Where do we go from here? Because like I said, nothing came up on him,” says Ramos.
Prosecutors say in Mock’s case, a restraining order was issued to the victim and that he served 60 days in Orange County Jail for violating the terms of his probation.
