PITTSBURGH — The mother of a 6-year-old boy who was allegedly sexually abused by Nicholas Gindele is turning her pain into purpose and sharing her deeply personal story so it doesn’t happen to another child.
“You definitely underestimated my son and myself and the strength that he has to speak up for himself,” said the child’s mother.
She talked to Channel 11 about the whirlwind of emotions she and her son experienced at the hands of the 25-year-old now-former Sarah Heinz House program director.
Gindele’s preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for Wednesday, was ultimately postponed.
He remains behind bars, as a judge deemed him to be a threat to public safety.
The child’s mother hired Gindele through Care.com to babysit her son at their Pittsburgh home, where he allegedly repeatedly abused him.
“He is a very bold and special child, and he is ready to be his own voice and tell his own story,” the mother said. “He already considers himself a hero, and he’ll save other kids from going through what he did.”
According to the criminal complaint, police got a ChildLine tip about the incident back in May.
During an interview at the children’s hospital in June, the little boy told investigators he was “abused by Nick,” his babysitter.
The child told investigators Gindele licked and touched him inappropriately.
“We just wanted to get the story out there so that other kids won’t be abused by him in the future,” his mother told Channel 11.
Care.com sent out a notice to local parents informing them they have removed “Nicholas G” from the Care.com community, and if they have had issues, they should report it.
The boy’s mother is now calling for stricter background checks on the site for the sake of safety and accountability.
“I don’t know if just an email is enough. A copy-and-paste email just saying ‘stop using him’ is quite enough to justify the level of what occurred.”
She also wants Gindele to face the issue head-on and apologize for his actions.
“I think we both have a forgiving heart, and we just wanna move forward past this and just make sure it doesn’t happen to any other children.”
Gindele’s new preliminary hearing date is set for July 8 at 12:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh City Court.
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