A Haredi police officer in the Sullivan County village of Monticello who admitted to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl is now back working as a dispatcher, News 12 reported.

Jeremy Solomon was convicted of sexual crimes in 2017, but the conviction was overturned because of a typo: documents said the victim was 17, but she was really 15. Solomon resigned from his job as a police officer, but was later rehired as a dispatcher. 

Solomon was arrested again in January and suspended from his job as a dispatcher after allegedly lying about his criminal past when he applied to work as a police officer again. Now, after a new mayor and three new village trustees took office last month, he is back working as a dispatcher.

Monticello’s village attorney, Michael Sussman, said in a meeting last month that since charges against Solomon for allegedly falsifying records are still pending, they don’t justify firing him. “The Village Board affirms the principle that a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent,” Sussman said, according to the Sullivan County Democrat.

The village’s former mayor, George Nikolados, told Shtetl that Solomon has worked with Haredi political activists in Sullivan County. Matis Rutner, a Haredi community activist in Sullivan County, confirmed that Solomon has worked for political campaigns.

“It really affects the safety of all our residents,” Nikolados said. “If someone comes into the police department to report a sexual assault and see someone who has admitted in court to doing the same crime, for someone’s safety and wellbeing, I don’t think it’s right.”

Nikolados said he believes Solomon never should have been rehired in the first place after the sexual assault admission, and he shouldn’t be rehired again now. “The message that’s being sent to people is that because people have political connections, they’re above the law,” he said. 

Nikolados made headlines before the recent election when an audio recording was leaked in which he promised Solomon his job back in exchange for votes. Nikolados said it was a false promise, made as part of a sting operation meant to help a law enforcement investigation.

Reached by Shtetl, Solomon appeared to hang up the phone and didn’t immediately respond to a text message.