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Joseph Schell, a 44-year-old Phoenixville resident, was previously convicted of indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of children, and corruption of minors in January, said District Attorney Deb Ryan in a release.
The investigation began in March 2021, when Uwchlan Township police were alerted to potential abuse, the DA said. The 16-year-old victim told detectives that in 2020, while driving her to work, Schnell would "often masturbate while driving his car" while watching pornography.
She also said that her stepdad would "engage in sexual acts" and use drugs in front of her and her siblings, per the release.
While the abuses occurred, Schnell, the victim, the victim's mother, and other siblings were living in hotels across Chester and Montgomery Counties, authorities wrote.
When Schnell would begin to "engage in sexual acts," the victim told investigators she and her siblings would hide in the bathroom to avoid him.
He was sentenced to a prison term of 27 months to five years.
“Schell subjected the victim to disgusting criminal acts," DA Ryan wrote. "He violated his duty of care to her and forced her to witness behavior that no child should see, especially from an adult."
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