West Chester Man Convicted Of Exposing Himself To A Six-Year-Old

WEST CHESTER, PA — A 36-year-old West Chester man was convicted Thursday in the Chester County Justice Center here on charges of trapping a six-year-old in a room and exposing himself.

Santiago Salgado-Ochoa was found guilty by a jury of false imprisonment of a minor, corruption of minors, and indecent exposure for a 2010 incident.

The victim came forward in 2020 after the defendant contacted her on social media, officials said.

“The courage of this victim to speak the truth cannot be overstated,” District Attorney Deb Ryan said in a prepared statement. “We know that in most of our child sexual abuse cases, there are no eyewitnesses, and survivors may not come forward for many years.”

Ryan said the victim’s testimony was compelling, and the jury believed her based on her word alone with no other evidence available after so many years.

“Her strength and composure should be an example to other victims to speak up, no matter how much time has passed, because there can be peace in finding justice,” the district attorney said.

Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court records:

In December 2020, a 16-year-old female told West Chester police that when she was 6 years old, a man whom she knew, Salgado-Ochao, exposed himself.

The teen said she tried to escape but Salgado-Ochao blocked her and locked the door.

Charges were filed in my 2021.

West Chester Borough Police investigated. Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Yurick and Judy Chaverri prosecuted the case.

Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313 if you suspect a child is being abused.

Learn to recognize, react, and report child sexual abuse by taking a free virtual Stewards of Children workshop.

Contact County Coordinator Katie Walters at kwalters@chesco.org or 610-344-6115 for more information.