Former St. Patrick’s Athletic Director charged with inappropriate touching of 11-year-old boy in 2022
Staff report
OCALA, Fla. – Christopher Charles Chell, 47, of Alachua, a former Athletic Director at St. Patrick’s Interparish School who is currently on probation after pleading to charges of battery and soliciting a romantic relationship as an authority figure, has now been charged in Marion County with lewd or lascivious molestation of an 11-year-old boy; the alleged incident occurred while Chell was driving the victim home from a flag football game in Ocala in October 2022.
Although the arrest warrant was issued out of Marion County, Marion County sources have told us they do not yet have the probable cause affidavit; however, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office sent an incident report in response to a public records request.
On February 10, 2025, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy spoke with a witness who said the victim had disclosed the incident to a friend, the friend told others, and the story was eventually overheard by a staff member at the victim’s current school. Once the witness confirmed the account with the victim, he called law enforcement.
The deputy met with the victim, who requested that the witness stay with him, and the victim reportedly said the incident took place in mid-to-late October 2022. He said Chell was his coach at the time and that he and a friend were supposed to ride home with Chell on that date, but the friend got sick and went home early, leaving him to ride home alone with Chell. He said they were driving back to Gainesville from a flag football game in Ocala when Chell reached over and touched him inappropriately for about five minutes; he said he froze because he did not know what to do.
A detective reported that he spoke with the victim’s friend, who said the victim had first mentioned the incident about a year ago and had gradually revealed more details in the last few months. The friend said someone else heard them talking about the incident and told others, and eventually a teacher overheard the conversations.
A forensic interview was conducted with the victim at the Child Advocacy Center, and the victim said the incident happened when he was 11, about 10 minutes into the drive on the way home from a flag football game in Ocala.
The detective researched St. Patrick’s sports calendar and found a flag football tournament between October 17 and October 21, 2022; he checked a list of locations for away games on the school’s website and determined that if the incident took place within 10 minutes of leaving the field, it would have happened in Marion County because all of the fields were 20-30 minutes away from the county line.
The detective reported that he found probable cause to charge Chell with lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim under the age of 12 and forwarded the investigation to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Chell was arrested on a Marion County warrant on March 17 and remains in the Alachua County Jail.
Chell has two felony convictions (one violent) and one misdemeanor conviction (violent); 18 felony charges related to inappropriate behavior with girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were dropped in September 2024 as part of the plea deal in which Judge David Kreider ordered adjudication of guilt withheld and sentenced Chell to 195 days in jail with credit for 195 days served, followed by five years of probation.
Bail information is not currently available.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Lock this pedophile up forever
Violation of probation means he can now be tried on ALL the charges. In two counties.
Actually, I am wrong. I don’t think that can happen. I have been out of this line of work for too long.
If the new violation was during the probation period, he could be re-sentenced on the original charges, but since the new charge preceded the original charges, it’s not a violation.
“18 felony charges related to inappropriate behavior with girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were dropped as part of the plea deal”. What?!?! So, these girls’ trauma was used as bargaining chips?
The ONLY thing I can think of to make this makes sense is that the victims in this case didn’t want to have to testify? Or their families didn’t want to put them through it?
Of course, the state attny doesn’t want to take anything to trial that isn’t a slam-dunk, his conviction record being what gets him re-elected. So it could also be that.
It’s not about the conviction record that get’s him re-elected. It’s about the deals he gives the prominent, and the cases he looks the other way on.
THAT is what gets 8th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s re-elected.
You people really don’t understand that there is a country within the country, a city within the city, and a community within the community.
The old saying comes to mind “It’s not about what you know, but who.”
Personally, it is about what you know, laying on the foundation of who you know and that is God.
My people perish for a lack of knowledge, this isnt worldy knowledge, it is knowledge of God and the wisdom only his way provides.
When you understand that we are a divine creation and in the end the light will overcome the dark, it makes you wonder why any would chose the dark.
Why would he allow people to be created that will choose the dark, then you realize he gave us free will and never tampered with it.
Thats when you understand that the dark are simply NPC’s created for the sole purpose of destruction.
Don’t get lost in their sauce, it tastes and feels good in the moment, but will end badly.
Sickening.
My ? is why was this P.O.S. working at Catholic School ?
With a history of Convictions against Children.
Either you can’t read or you don’t know the meaning of the word ‘former’.
Don’t be a D*ck!
This is not even my battle BUT apparently, he once was employed at the school.
He hasn’t yet been convicted of any crimes against children. He was given a sweet plea agreement for those initial charges in 2024 at St. Pat’s. This new charge occurred in 2022, but was just reported to police in February 2025.
He does have, according to this story, two felony convictions (one violent) and a violent misdemeanor conviction. Doesn’t say what those were about but you have to wonder why someone with two violent convictions was teaching children, coaching children, and being allowed to transport children. I guess private schools don’t have as strict standard for hiring as public schools.
The misdemeanor is a battery case from 2000, with adjudication of guilt withheld. The felonies are from the 2024 plea deal (one was battery),
You obviously don’t know the history of the Catholic Church.
The Priests believed that since they took a vow of celibacy, that they could relieve their desires, with the kids in their parishes.
This is fact.
I find this disgusting. I don’t think chell is a representation of the Catholic Church or st pats. He preyed upon this group because they were nice.
The school was run by a jerk principal who had a bunch of scary country people working there, like a scene out of a Stephen King film. It’s finally better now, after the lawsuit accusing them of racism and all the problems with Chell and Clemons. It was far from a model school.
The charges happened with girls from the Catholic school. Actually read everything. Plus, im a parent of students in that school.
Hopefully Marion county will throw the book at him and not drop charges like they did here in Alachua county.
You still believe him now Ryan Clemens??? You should be ashamed and you should also still have charged for letting this happen to children under your care.
I’m ashamed that I ever associated with you!
There’s no excuse for what Ryan Clemens did but I will say that groomers like Chell also groom the adults in their lives and very effectively sometimes.
Anything they can do to have continued access to their chosen prey. A former band director at Buchholz is the same way. Grooming children wasn’t a crime in Florida when he was unmasked, but it is now. So maybe he is being a little more careful.
Yes but to me the way Clemons smiled in that mugshot showed no signs of remorse or empathy for those effected
They were a part of the good boys club don’t you know.
And there you are – a staff member at the victim’s current school heard this story, called the police and reported it. Because of that, maybe this piece of human garbage won’t be able to grope another child.
At least not until he gets let out of prison early for good behavior (child groomers/predators often behave in prison because they want to get out so they can have access to their prey as soon as possible).
Anyhow – unlike the principal at St. Pats, this staff member reported it like a mandatory reporter is supposed to. Thank you to that staff member!
If I were a church school HR admin, I’d research whether an applicant has a good history of church attendance and fellowship previously. They shouldn’t just hire anybody.
I feel the same. I feel let down in this aspect. Even though I absolutely adored the principal who hired him. I don’t know what was going through his head or if he maybe didn’t know. It was negligent but that principal is one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. You really don’t know what went on or why it happened. I’m sad for everyone involved
Mackritis seemed terrible, especially his toxic attitude. He’s a classic example of a second-rate manager who hired third-rate employees. Remember that old countrified woman who embezzled over 75k?
They might be able to reopen the cases that were dismissed, depending on whether they were dismissed with prejudice or without prejudice.
It is and has always been a thing in the Catholic Faith.
Remember back in the 90’s when all over the country Catholic Priest were molesting kids and were not getting charged, because of the power of the “Church”.
Do you ever think that bad people prey on those that seek the good in people?
18 felony charges dropped for 5 yrs probation. Great! What a crappy judge and prosecutor, didn’t want to bring or hear a case. That’s why they repeat until they are caught raping and murdering a child like the one in Jax Walmart just a few years ago. Finally he ain’t gittin out!
I agree. Terrible people at the helm. It’s proven that sex offenders will offend again. I’m so let down by this system
It’s not the system, it’s the individual judges and prosecutors.
” 18 felony charges related to inappropriate behavior with girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were dropped in September 2024 as part of the plea deal in which Judge David Kreider ordered adjudication of guilt withheld and sentenced Chell to 195 days in jail with credit for 195 days served, followed by five years of probation.”
Way to go, knowing this jerk is a pedophile they let him loose on society again and of course, he molests yet another child.
Imagine in the state of Florida, you can molest a child and get withheld adjudication, so when someone looks at your record it does not say you were found guilty of it, despite you having taken a plea deal because you did not believe you could prevail at trial.
Ron Desantis needs to change this, how is this protecting children, and if he doesnt do it, I know Byron Donalds will do it.
Nasty something always going on at that school
It isn’t the school. My kids have gone there since 2018 and there are many loving and wonderful educators that are there. I even chose to keep my kids there after this because I know the awful people have gone. I hate chell and I also blame Clemons for allowing it but I refuse to blame the entire school having been there for so long. It’s so unfortunate for one bad seed to ruin the reputation of everyone there and I just want people to know that
Are you an ACPS District or SBAC member? Every school has its problems, let’s not forget that.
Schools, like workplaces, are representative of our current society! Bad $hit happens everywhere, ACPS, UF, Shands, HCA, …..your workplace!
I agree, this guy has had way too many chances at changing his ways, so let’s rid society of him, but let’s do the same to all the pervs, child molesters, child porn distributors, producers, and on and on!
No jail time! Save taxpayers money for worthwhile things!
A dead pedo can’t reoffend
I’m not doubting this young boy story at all and I think he’s very brave for speaking up because a lot of people don’t ever say a word but I always wish people would speak up sooner so something can be done too nasty adults that are trusted to be with our kids. I do get it though. My “uncle” by marriage sexually assaulted me and I had no idea what to do and I never told anyone but I wish every day that I had said something. He’s dead now and may he rest in hell.
It’s interesting that he was arrested on St. Patrick’s Day (like the school).
Only one single cure for this type of behavior.
Sounds like Judge David Kreider is a spineless hoe
You all should realize jail doesn’t fix anyone. Prisoners just wait and seethe in prison and will continue their evil ways when they get out.