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From:
http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1289024723228810.xml&coll=3
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Arrest on sex charges for Jersey City man who ran after-school Lego program at
charter school
Saturday, November 06, 2010
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A Jersey City man who operated an after-school, LEGOs-oriented activity for
children at a city charter school has been arrested on charges he fondled three
young girls in Jersey City and Hoboken, officials said yesterday.
Eric Sophie, 40, of Newport Parkway, allegedly molested two 5-year-old girls and
an 8-year-old girl and was arrested Wednesday on three counts each of sexual
assault by contact, child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, Hudson
County Assistant Prosecutor John Mulkeen said yesterday.
Sophie, who calls himself "Legomaster" on his Myspace.com page, ran an
after-school program at Ethical Community Charter School on Broadway. The school
opened in September 2009 and currently has three grades, kindergarten through
second grade.
The matter came to light when the school sent out a letter to parents saying the
person who led the Lego program had been arrested. It said more information was
available by calling the principal or the Hudson County Prosecutor's Special
Victims Unit.
"The accused person has been relieved of his duties pending a criminal
investigation," Marta Bergamini, the charter school's principal, said yesterday.
"We cannot comment further under state law at this time."
Sophie's MySpace.com page says he attended Ferris High in Jersey City in 1985
and 1986.
Bergamini noted that the school is "cooperating fully with all authorities," and
said: "The school takes the safety of all their children very seriously, and we
did a full background check on this employee and he was clean."
Sophie's intricate, complex and often large Lego creations have been exhibited
in Liberty State Park, on the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour, in the Newport
Town Square near his home, at the New Jersey Science and Engineering Festival in
Clifton, on the Good Day New York television program, on the Lego website and
numerous other venues.
Sophie has a listing on the Hoboken Family Alliance website's Birthday Party
Idea page offering his services. It reads, "Eric Sophie will come to your party
and build a Lego phenom with your party guest."
Mulkeen, who heads the Prosecutor's Office's Special Victims Unit, said Sophie
was transported to the Hudson County jail in Kearny Thursday and he is being
held in lieu of a bail of $200,000 cash or bond.
Mulkeen said the investigation is very active and no further information would
be released at this time. He would not say if Sophie worked at other schools.
**** END OF REPORT ****
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From:
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2012/09/lego_master_sentenced_to_5_yea.html#comments
**** START OF REPORT ****
By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
on September 28, 2012 at 4:16 PM, updated September 28, 2012 at 5:44 PM
A Jersey City LEGO "master" has been sentenced to the maximum prison term
possible under his plea deal for molesting children while leading a LEGOs
afterschool activity at two schools, one in Hoboken and the other in Jersey
City.
"This type of offense affects the child the rest of their lives," said Hudson
County Superior Court Judge Lisa Rose before sentencing Eric Sophie, 42, of
Newport Parkway, to seven years in prison with no chance of parole until after
serving nearly six years.
Rose went on to say that the victims, a 5-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl,
will "never forget'' what happened to them.
Sophie was arrested in November 2010 and later pleaded guilty to two counts of
sexual assault for touching one child's chest and the other child's crotch,
Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Jane Weiner said. He also pleaded guilty to
endangering the welfare of a child for possession of child pornography , Weiner
said.
The prosecutor said the incidents occurred at Ethical Community Charter School
in Jersey City and Hoboken Charter School in Hoboken, where Sophie ran
afterschool LEGOs programs for children.
The mother of one victim spoke emotionally at the hearing, trembling and taking
deep breaths for some time before being able to express a message of hope to
Sophie.
"I used to be very angry with Mr. Sophie (but now) I feel sorry for him," said
the mother. "I can't imagine what happened to him to make him do what he did,
(but) I do believe he can change."
The mother went on to say: "Even if he serves his whole sentence and treatment
and is released and repeats this conduct, it will never change that God loves
him. ... We believe he can change and we ask that you think about God's love for
you and you can change."
Before being sentenced, Sophie said he was sorry to his victims, family and
friends.
"I admit that I do have a problem and I am interested in addressing it," said
Sophie, adding that he believes he has "a lot to offer."
Sophie, who called himself "Legomaster" on his MySpace.com page, ran an
after-school program at Ethical Community Charter School on Broadway in Jersey
City.
Sophie's intricate, complex and often large LEGO creations have been exhibited
in Liberty State Park, on the Jersey City Artists Studio Tour, on the "Good Day,
New York" television program and numerous other venues.
Sophie has been diagnosed at a repetitive and compulsive sex offender, which
means he can be held even after serving his prison term if he is still deemed to
be a danger to the public. He must register as a sex offender under Megan's Law
and faces parole supervision for the rest of his life after being released.
He has been in the Hudson County jail in Kearny since his arrest.
**** END OF REPORT ****
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