Sexual Abuse Lands Kennett Square Man 25 to 50 Behind Bars

WEST CHESTER, PA —A 39-year-old Kennett Square Man was sentenced in the Chester County Justice Center to 25 to 50 years in state prison on charges of sexually and physically abusing a child, officials said Tuesday.

Joel Choc-Macz was sentenced by Chester County Judge David Bortner after a jury convicted him of rape of a child, unlawful contact with a minor, and related offenses.

Investigators said the abuse began when she was 10 years old and occurred at multiple locations in and out of the country.

“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,” District Attorney Deb Ryan said.
“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.”

According to police:

• On Mar. 21, 2020, Kennett Square Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Wayne Avene in Kennett Square for the physical abuse of a 13-year-old child.
• The 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 victim told investigators that the defendant had sexually abused her since she was 10 and living in Guatemala
• 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.

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.