Day: October 24, 2024

A Brooklyn youth baseball coach was indicted on Thursday for allegedly sexually abusing seven young boys on his team, the borough’s District Attorney’s Office said.

Nicolas Morton, 31, of Park Slope, was arraigned before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo on a 20-count indictment charging him with second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, third- and first-degree sexual abuse, 13 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of forcible touching, and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.

The despicable crimes took place while Morton was serving as head coach of The Packer Collegiate Institute, a private school for grades pre-K to 12 in Brooklyn Heights. 

During his travel team’s practices and other times, he consistently made sexual comments, repeatedly insisted that players show him their genitalia and touched their private parts, the D.A.’s office said. Three of the young victims said the defendant fondled their intimate areas over their clothes. In another instance, the defendant allegedly went under a boy’s clothes to molest him.

Prosecutors allege the defendant refused to let the athletes, all boys between the ages of 12 and 14, stop “difficult conditioning exercises” unless they exposed themselves to him on several occasions.

“This defendant’s alleged actions represent a profound betrayal of trust, preying on the young athletes under his guidance,” Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez said. “Coaches are entrusted with nurturing young minds and talents, not exploiting them for personal gratification.”

According to the investigation, Morton ran a traveling baseball team at the same time he coached at the school. The incidents took place during travel team practices, most often at the school’s gym and local ballfields, throughout 2023 and half of 2024.

As part of heinous acts, Morton made sexual comments, repeatedly asked to see the boys’ pubic hair and spoke at length about masturbation, according to victim accounts.

Morton used various conniving tactics to get the boys to show their private parts, such as offering “material benefits” or telling them they could rest after running or doing other drills if they exposed themselves to him.

The abusive coach even threatened several boys that he would kick them off the team if they did not comply with his repulsive demands, the D.A.’s office said.

“The disturbing details of this case highlight the lasting damage such behavior inflicts on vulnerable youth, and we are committed to holding this defendant fully accountable,” Gonzalez said. “Our priority remains to protect children and provide justice for these brave victims who have come forward.”

amNewYork Metro reached out to the Packer Collegiate Institute for comment on the case but did not get a response.

Chatter among parents brought the allegations to light as rumors of the abuse started to circulate in July. Some parents even reported their concerns to Packer, and in August, the school fired the alleged abuser.

Morton’s bail was set at $75,000 cash or $150,000 bond and the defendant was ordered to return to court on Dec. 13, 2024.

A truly affordable housing lottery has opened for 36 apartments in a new 100% affordable development in Crown Heights, with units starting at $454 a month. Dubbed Weeksville Place, the new eight-story, 45-unit building has risen on a formerly vacant and overgrown lot.

The lottery for the new development at 1559 Prospect Place includes 36 rent stabilized and income restricted studio, one-, and two-bedroom units for families earning 30 to 80% of the Area Median Income. Income limits are set between $18,480 and $134,160 for households of one to five people, according to the listing. 

The 15 studio units start at $454 a month and go up to $654, the seven one-bedrooms start at $577 a month and top out at $1,676, and the 14 two-bedrooms range from $1,364 a month and to $1,999 a month. The building’s remaining nine apartments not included in the lottery are supportive units for households referred through city agencies.

The cheapest apartments at 30 and 40% AMI will favor seniors in the application process, according to the listing.

More than 25% of households in Brooklyn Community Board 8 earn between 31%-80% of AMI and are considered “low income” or “very low income, per city data. Almost half of households in the nabe are rent-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income on rent, and 25% are “severely rent burdened” — spending more than 50% on rent. The city and state are working to build hundreds of additional affordable housing units in Crown Heights. 

Weeksville Place was designed by ESKW/Architects to look like two buildings, one made of red brick and the other of gray chevron-patterned stripes on hairpin supports. The latter has a setback at the sixth floor that allows for a landscaped terrace, renderings show. On the ground floor are floor to ceiling windows with plantings out front.

According to the architect’s website, the lobby and residential hallways have wood paneling and there is a rear yard and grill area, along with a children’s playground. The listing says the building includes energy efficient appliances, air conditioning, bike storage, a community center, outdoor areas and a playground, and an onsite resident manager. Heat and hot water are included in the rent, but tenants have to pay for electricity, which includes electric stoves, the listing states.

Going back at least to the ’80s, the city-owned Prospect Place lot located between Buffalo and Ralph avenues was vacant and overgrown, old tax photos show. Before that, it held three houses. In 2022, records show the city transferred the lot to development partners Settlement Housing Fund, an affordable housing developer, and construction company The Beechwood Organization for $3. Settlement Housing Fund also operates a number of other affordable housing developments in Crown Heights, along St. John’s Place.

The site is an Urban Development Action Area Project, which gives the developer a tax break for up to 20 years. The construction was financed through LITCH and the city’s Neighborhood Construction Program, according to the listing.

The Weeksville Place lottery closes October 28. To apply, visit the listing on New York City’s Housing Connect website.

A version of this story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site Brownstoner.