Advocacy Group Rallies in Wake of Sports Coach Accused of Molesting Boys

A victims advocacy group held a rally Friday afternoon in response to child sex abuse charges filed last week against a Hoboken charter school administrator and youth baseball coach.

John Mercado, 52, of Jersey City, was charged last Friday with multiple counts of aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault by contact, aggravated criminal sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child and child abuse for allegedly molesting seven underage boys, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office said.

Livingston-based Roads to Recovery Inc. held a press conference Friday outside Elysian Charter School, at 301 Garden St., to show support for the victims and their families and will call for more information to be released about Mercado.

Mercado has been working as an administrative assistant and athletic director at Elysian Charter School and has served as a youth sports coach and ran summer baseball camps.

Mercado previously taught computer science at Hoboken Catholic Academy from 1998-2004.

According to Hudson County First Assistant Prosecutor Debra Simon, Mercado molested the boys while he was employed at several local schools and as a youth coach over the past three decades.

Road to Recovery urged the Elysian Charter School, Hoboken Catholic Academy and the Archdiocese of Newark to release any previous allegations against Mercado and "any other pertinent information that will help ensure the safety of children."

Anyone with information can contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234.