CARLTON, N.Y. (WROC) — An Orleans County man pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges in Carlton Town Court on Monday, July 1. The charges come after he was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a 14-year-old girl.
According to the alleged victim’s mother, Schiff used to be a youth pastor at a church in Medina.
An order of protection has been served to protect the girl who says he messaged her. The judge ordered that Schiff has no contact with the girl or her friends. The girl’s mom, Tonia James, said she found out about the messages just a few weeks ago.
“It’s very nasty messages something that a pastor or no adult should be sending to a minor teenage girl or any minor for that matter,” said James.
There is currently no confirmation the account sending the messages is Robert Schiff, but the Facebook account has his name.
James said the messages started off like normal conversation but took a turn.
“The main one that stuck out to me the most was telling her that she would look good in a thong and that was at like 1:30 in the morning,” said James.
James posted the story on Facebook and received responses from others who say he did the same thing to them.
“I’ve already found more people, maybe some might not want to come forward maybe some will. Hopefully they do more than not. These kids are all out there suffering because they feel that they’re too scared to say something because of this man’s position. He’s supposed to be somebody they can trust and clearly he’s not,” said James.
A post on the account with Schiff’s name says he didn’t do anything
and he asked to see more of the screenshots she had.
“Him being an older adult trying to get this teenage child to go to a movie with him, do you think maybe we can hang out sometime that’s not okay, it’s not okay for a man of his position in the church and a man who these children are supposed to feel comfortable with to feel uncomfortable because he is making them feel that way,” said James.
He didn’t have a lawyer, and was temporarily represented by the public defender. He applied to see if he qualifies for one, otherwise he’ll have to get his own attorney.
Schiff was released on his own recognizance because the judge said she doesn’t believe he is a flight risk.
James doesn’t think the charges are enough, but she doesn’t blame the church.
“A church is made up of a congregation of all the people that goes to it and those people had no knowledge of what the situation was and what this man was doing to their children,” said James.
Schiff is due back in court on August 5.