St. Patrick’s Athletic Director and teacher arrested for child molestation
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Charles Chell, 46, a middle school teacher and Athletic Director at St. Patrick Interparish School, was arrested yesterday and charged with ten counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child between 12 and 16 years old.
According to a press release from Gainesville Police Department, Chell had gained the trust of several middle school girls, abusing his position as their physical education teacher and coach. Over the course of several months, Chell allegedly engaged in a pattern of behavior that escalated from inappropriate touching to criminal acts.
A letter sent last week from Father Lawrence Peck to St. Patrick families announced that Chell was no longer employed by the school. The letter said that Chell had been at the school for 4.5 years, and in addition to his duties as Athletic Director and physical education coach, he also oversaw and led numerous sports teams.
Detectives believe there may be more victims that have not been identified. If you have any information regarding this incident or have knowledge of any victims, please contact Sgt. Pandak at (352) 393-7734.
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.
Home school, read the Bible, use internet as a learning tool…Only logical solution going forward. Public & religious schools are equally terrible. Organized religion is as corrupt as government.
Okay down voters…What was more triggering?
1) My home school comment
2) My organized religion comment
3) My bible promotion comment
I know which one it was. And y’all better get over the fact that certain institutions are corrupt. Don’t hate the messenger.
Not that it really matters but Chell was not a Catholic despite working at a Catholic school. He is however, a POS.
So many of these…
Is it there are more out there than the past or are we just catching them due to technology?
In any event, it’s sick.
I hope that more of these predators are being caught because our children are learning not to keep those secrets.
However the grooming tactics often negate what children have learned about predators, making it less likely that they’ll report.
A former band director at a local high school was grooming, according to some students and the ACSO detective who investigated, from his first year at the school and it took five years before one family finally reported it. Since the reporting student refused to have sexual contact with the band director, no charges were filed and if anything physical happened between the band director and other students, they have yet to come forward.
Fortunately, Florida is moving forward with a law that makes grooming a felony.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-lawmakers-target-lewd-of-lascivious-grooming/#
The biggest problem with an antigrooming law is trying to define exactly what grooming is and how to separate it from innocent actions.
Wanna stop this and other types of heinous Behavior? Once a individual like this is convicted you bring back the guillotine and televise his execution on the 6:00 news, that way anybody who wants to partake in sick Disturbing Behavior like this sees exactly what’s going to happen to them should they decide they want to do the same thing!
Agree but this is systemic. It runs deep. Top to bottom.
It’s always schools and religious institutions. One suits the atheist folks and the other serves the so-called religious folks…either way they’re gonna get your kid’s mind in check
I wouldn’t expect any meaningful overarching reforms. People better start holding schools / child care / churches accountable. They’re all completely screwing children up on a regular basis. Not always in a sexual manner either. Both have the potential to do amazing things but they’re both failing the children completely right now.
Just make sure the offending body part is cut off.
Comment of the Week
St. Patrick’s School sure is in the news a lot for one little Catholic school.
Too many disgusting perverts, child rapist.
Florida is moving toward making grooming behavior a felony and hopefully children will be taught to recognize grooming and report it.
We raise our kids to tell us if someone touches them or a friend, but by the time physical contact occurs, too often the groomer has managed to silence the alarms that go off within a victim.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/florida-lawmakers-target-lewd-of-lascivious-grooming/#
The biggest problem with an antigrooming law is trying to define exactly what grooming is and how to separate it from innocent actions.
Seems to be a lot of perverts in Gainesville. Almost every day there’s an article about one. Glad I don’t have kids.
Again. No cure for this criminal behavior. I got plenty of drill bits for the permanent lobotomy.
I’d recommend an auger bit, or maybe even a spade bit. Hammer drill, safety glasses, N99 mask and surgical apron would also be recommended.
Correct and the sad thing is that jail and prison no longer deter criminals, hell the dems want them to live a life of luxury and for them to have just as many rights now as a law abiding citizen. When the punishment is equally as bad as the crime itself then I promise they will think twice but until that happens we will continue to read about sick twisted individuals such as this one on a daily basis.
So, it’s a well kept secret in the numerous religious establishments, faiths, churches, schools etc.
It’s sick and disturbing there is no doubting that.
A lgbt supporter in trouble , just another pervert demorat
The article said he “gained the trust of several middle school GIRLS”. So, you can’t put the blame on LGBTQ+ folks. This one is ALL yours.
Also, who said anything about politics? Maybe he was just following Trump’s advice of “grab them by the…” you know the rest.
Possibly, or he could have started out sniffing their hair like pos46! You don’t know how the waste of oxygen votes, being a government employee, there is a greater chance he votes with you left wing trash!
As a former parent of a student he taught, he was very proud of his democrat/liberal views and non religious stance. He was respectful enough to allow the children to voice their opinions, but he made it known he stood.
Fact is, there is a teacher shortage and although the diocese does conduct background screenings and anyone who has access to children must attend training, if they don’t have a record, how will anyone know.
He is married with a daughter, no one would have predicted it.
If there is photographic or video evidence and he is adjudicated guilty, cut off his lower member, make him eat it, then kill him! These wastes of oxygen do not deserve to breath! There seems to be more and more of this type of oxygen thief! Execute these pieces of excrement as soon as there is enough evidence to find them guilty! No reason tax payers should have their income confiscated so pieces of excrement like this continue to breathe! If left wing degenerates believe this waste of oxygen should continue to breathe, they can pay for themselves!
Low set ears, no chin & the neck of a snake. How many victims indeed? Seductive preferential pedophiles will act on compulsion , go in debt & ruin any career to seduce their prey. They cannot be reformed. Please don’t allow him to bounce school to school in state after state to reoffend.
Where do these perverts come from? Better a millstone be tied around his neck…
the LGBQXYZ community needs to stop becoming school teachers and hunt somewhere else.
The article said he “gained the trust of several middle school GIRLS”. So, you can’t put the blame on LGBTQ+ folks. This one is ALL yours.
Those Catholics sure do know how to TEACH!!!😂😂😂
It is terrifying to know that I worked with this man and would not have ever guessed he would be capable of something this heinous. You think you are a decent judge of character and you think know someone and it turns out you can just NEVER really be sure. This whole situation is just heartbreaking for all. I am so glad that he has been caught and charged for his actions and hopefully will be held fully accountable and never have the opportunity to do something like this ever again!
He had a criminal record before being hired…
There are bad people in every single profession. Ever think that the reason St. Patrick’s has been in the news lately, as someone posted, is because the corruption is FINALLY being handled by individuals who refuse to sit back and let it happen?
Whatever Chell did will be uncovered and no matter the extent, no one he worked with EVER had any indication that he was capable of this. It is heartbreaking and it affects everyone who’s directly and indirectly involved.
The actions of these corrupt people do not represent the rest of the faculty and staff that work at St. Patrick’s, many with children of their own who attend or have attended there, and who truly want the best for the school and most importantly for the students.
Bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what type of institution, religious or not, there are corrupt people everywhere and we just have to make sure we keep our eyes open and teach our children the importance of reporting actions of people that make them feel uncomfortable, no matter the extent.
As a former employee I can tell you things in the past were reported, especially what lead to the defrauding of the school out of $50,000 and nothing was done about it. The diocese doesn’t take action when things are reported and a blind eye is turned way too often. I agree there are so many loving and caring staff members, but leadership has failed these children and teachers. I bet if a deep investigation was done they may find they were defrauded out of even more money than what was found a few months ago. It’s devastating.
For all the reasons you stated is probably why the old leadership was forced to “retire” in the middle of this year. And I don’t think anyone is blind to the fact that more than what was reported was actually stolen.
Yah I paid for and passed their background check and still wasn’t allowed to participate in my children’s classrooms at SPIS, staff at this school told non-parent I was not on the list of parents allowed to participate, but refuse to tell me when I asked who was allowed in my children’s classroom. Macritus stated ” that it wasn’t school policy to give out personal information” yet freely gave information regarding my not being allowed to participate to an adult that didn’t even have children. Then my daughter comes home one day to state her safety patrol partner was kicked off. When I asked why she stated that it was her secret and administration had told her that it was a private thing and it was ok not to talk to anyone about the incident. I could not fevking believe my child had been taught to keep secrets from her parents. This was o freaking unbelievable, I couldn’t wait for the school year to end as I absolutely hated taking them to a place that was teaching this crazy bs. Who teaches children to keeps secrets from parents? Pedophiles that’s who. Sad to think of children being indoctrinated this way since we teach them to trust these people. The school was trash anyway our third grader that never got homework could barely read at the end of the year… Even if you taught your child an hour a day they would learn more that at this disgrace of a school.
First off, saying that the school is taught by pedophiles is outlandish and irresponsible. Secondly, Makritis is no longer at the school and probably for many reasons other than yours. I’m sorry you had a bad experience there but we only hear about the bad apples when it comes to things like this. There are many many more amazing teachers who will never get the credit they deserve because they are over shadowed by corrupt people, who unfortunately are in every single profession.
If your child was unable to read by the end of third grade it sounds like YOU failed your child…
Please read the sworn GPD motion for pretrial detention report. Ryan Clemens assistant principal should also be held accountable for not removing Chell sooner. Clemens had information and allowed Chell to continue in his duties as coach and teacher at full capacity with continued access to female students. It’s all in the gpd report.
Clemens failed to in his duties to protect the students after he was made aware. Parents should be demanding to the diocese that Clemens also be removed from his position and the school.
Mr. Clemens is not the interim principal or acting principal no matter what the report says. He does not have the ability to fire or remove anyone from their position without the approval of the interim principal, priest or diocese. He reported it. If he did not report the accusations then Chell would not have been removed from the school a week before GPD arrested him. He did his job. He has full support from the families and faculty at that school. I have 3 children currently attending this school and it’s BECAUSE of Mr. Clemens and his leadership that we are staying!
How can you speak for the faculty and family and say that he has their full support? I can tell you that is patently untrue
How do you read that report? I can’t find it.
Look up Christopher Chell on the courthouse records site. It’s the 7 page file under the dockets tab
Am I understanding correct that the initial victims parents removed her from the school because of what seems to be inaction? And it wasn’t until after the child’s parents removed her and three other victims came forward that the report was finally made? And am
I also reading it correctly that the interim principal admits to knowing girls visited this man between classes and Chell played favorites to middle school girls? I am truly disturbed at how much the admin truly failed these children.
If you are not confident in how Ryan Clemens and administration has handled this situation and do not feel confident in student safety after reading the gpd report please reach out to Deacon Scott Conway the superintendent of the st Augustine diocese. Superintendent@dosafl.com or 904-262-0668
Looks like GPD has arrested the assistant principal as they should.
It looks like GPD has arrested the assistant principal as they should have
As a former student, Mr Chell did infact make us girls feel uncomfortable by the way he favored us. He never did anything sexual to me or to my friends that I know of; but the way he spoke to us compared to the boys was extremely inappropriate. I always had suspicions as did the girls I knew and it sickens me hearing the things he did after I left. Some of these victims were friends of mine and I will forever be disgusted.