Mark Clopp hopes the sickening act of vandalism to a memorial for his 9-year-old son, who died of brain cancer in 2012, will result in something positive for his community and, eventually, for those charged in the incident.

Bryan A. Bellace, 23, of Egg Harbor, is accused of urinating on a memorial to Christian Clopp, of Mays Landing, outside a playground dedicated in his honor. A video of the incident, allegedly recorded by Daniel Flippen, 23, of Hammonton, was posted to SnapChat.

A family friend saw the video and showed it to the Clopp family. They were able to identify the two people involved via social media and reported them to police, who announced charges Sunday.

Bellace was charged with lewdness, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, while Flippen was charged with having an open can of beer at the park.

Mark Clopp said he has declined on-camera interviews about the matter, but the retired police officer hopes the incident can serve as a learning experience for all.

“The support has been overwhelming,” Clopp said Monday. “It’s humbling actually. Literally, hundreds and hundreds of people have reached out to us.”

Christian Clopp was 9 years old when he died of brain cancer in 2012.

In a Monday morning Facebook post, he praised police and the community members who helped clean the memorial after the incident, and told the two men charged that they need to fix whatever is wrong in their lives.

Clopp noted that his first impulse when he learned of the vandalism was to get his hands on the men.

“I admit, my initial reaction was to find you and beat you senseless in defense of my son’s honor and the distress you caused my family,” he wrote. “I am better than that.”

Instead, he offered them this message.

“You have done serious damage to you reputation; only you can fix it,” he wrote. “How you respond to this dictates the direction your life will take.”

Bellace is due in Hamilton Township Municipal Court on May 29 at 9 a.m. No court date was available for Flippen as of Monday morning.

Clopp also wrote about Christian’s legacy and the impact his son has had on his community and the world. He suggested more improvements to the park could be one way respond to the vandalism and honor his son’s memory.

“Once again, that 9 year old boy brought a community together,” he said.

Okay, I have been contacted by all of our major news agencies for an on-camera interview in the past 24 hours. I have... Posted by Mark L Clopp on Monday, May 20, 2019

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