COLONIE – Another Hope House employee is under arrest for raping a resident in her care.
According to the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, 29-year-old Nicole Hodgdon, of Schenectady, is charged with felony rape and the misdemeanors of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.
Earlier this week, former Hope House employee James Whetstone was arrested for the same charges, but the cases are unrelated, said Justice Center Special Prosecutor Patricia E. Gunning.
Hodgdon, like Whetstone, was terminated from her position.
Hodgdon was an associate counselor at Hope House and in May allegedly had sexual intercourse with a person in treatment for drug addiction. Similarly, Whetstone is alleged to have had relations with a person in treatment for drug addiction.
“This defendant, like her colleague, allegedly used the victim for her own sexual gratification,” Gunning said in a statement. “People seeking to recover from addiction and chemical dependence should not be subjected to such abuse.”
Hope House is certified by the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
“We are confident that OASAS will address any issues that may exist at Hope House,” Gunning added.
Hodgdon was arraigned in Colonie Town Court by Judge Andrew Sommers and released to the Albany County Department of Probation.
The Justice Center is a state agency tasked to investigate allegations of abuse and/or neglect of a person with special needs being cared for in a state-sanctioned facility.
