WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge David Bortner this week sentenced 39-year-old Joel Choc-Macz of Kennett Square to 25-50 years in prison for the systemic sexual and physical abuse of a child that resulted in a baby in 2020 when the victim was 14, announced Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. The abuse began when she was 10 years old and occurred at multiple locations in and out of the country. The defendant was convicted of rape of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, and related offenses.
“Joel Choc-Macz victimized and abused this child for years as he relocated her from place to place before the victim could turn to others for help,” stated Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan. “The daily horrors she endured, which culminated in the birth of a child, were life-altering. Because of her courage to report these inhumane violations to authorities, he is behind bars. Thank you to Kennett Square Police, Chester County Detectives, and DDA Erin O’Brien for getting the victim to safety and obtaining justice for this child.”
According to statements made in open court, on Mar. 21, 2020, Kennett Square Police were dispatched to the 700-block of Wayne Ave. in Kennett Square for the physical abuse of a 13-year-old child. The child victim told police that the defendant kicked, punched, and assaulted her daily when he was intoxicated or didn’t like the food she cooked. The child victim showed police scars where the defendant used a cord to discipline her.
Investigators later learned that the child victim was pregnant as a result of the defendant’s sexual assaults and had moved to Florida to escape his abuse. The child victim returned to Chester County where she gave birth to a baby in December 2020.
She told investigators that the defendant had sexually abused her since she was ten and living in Guatemala. The abuse continued after he moved them to Tennessee, the Philadelphia area, and Chester County. She said they slept in the same room, and the defendant raped her on a regular basis. The child victim said they stopped sleeping in the same room after she called the police in March 2020.
The conviction was the result of an investigation by the Kennett Square Police and Chester County Detectives. DDA Erin O’Brien prosecuted the case.
Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313 if you suspect a child is being abused. Learn to recognize, react to, and report child sexual abuse by taking a free virtual Stewards of Children workshop. Contact County Coordinator Elisa Mendoza at emendoza@chesco.org or 610-344-5576 for more information.
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