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Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah announced that 31-year-old Mount Vernon resident Robert Pope was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 22, to the maximum term of four years in state prison for engaging in sexual activity with a 16-year-old.
In April 2021, Pope, the owner and head coach of Mount Vernon Baseball, an independent organization, communicated with the victim through text messages and expressed his desire to see the victim, the DA's Office said.
Pope, who coached numerous youth baseball teams, then traveled to the victim’s location, where the defendant subjected the victim to sexual activity, the DA said.
The crime came to light when the mother of the victim reported that she found text messages between her child and Pope, which included sexually explicit messages and photographs.
The mother and the victim proceeded to report the messages to the Mount Vernon Police Department, which prompted an investigation.
“This defendant was someone who was entrusted to care and mentor young people, and he egregiously violated the trust of the victim, the victim’s family, and the entire community,” DA Rocah said.
In addition to the sentence, Pope will also be subject to 10 years of post-release supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Following Pope's arrest, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, conducted an investigation into potential additional victims. As a result of that investigation, the defendant is currently facing additional federal charges.
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