Editor’s Note: The following is a submission by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
Here is a brief update on some of the events that occurred recently in the Chester County DA’s Office:
Malvern Man Convicted of Indecent Assault of a Minor
After a week-long trial, Jose Ramirez-Cantarero, 39, of Malvern, was convicted by a jury of Aggravated Indecent Assault without Consent and Indecent Assault before the Honorable Bret M. Binder. The victim had recently arrived in the area from Bolivia and started renting a room from the Defendant.
In April of 2022, the then 17-year-old victim and two of her family members had come to the East Whiteland Township area and began renting a room from the Defendant. On April 14, 2022, the Defendant had invited the victim to come with him to a local store, but instead, drove the victim into a densely wooded area and instructed the victim to sit on his lap. The Defendant continued to touch the victim’s breasts and genitals. The victim moved away from the Defendant and was instructed to not talk to anyone about the incident. Thankfully, the victim disclosed the incident to a family member and contacted the police, leading to this investigation and conviction.
Ramirez-Cantarero was previously convicted of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old after a trial in March of 2024. He is currently serving a 42-84 year sentence. The Honorable Bret M. Binder will sentence the Defendant again in the coming months.
Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “This man has now been convicted of sexually assaulting multiple children and—thanks to the courage of the victims and the hard work of police—will be held behind bars for decades.”
The East Whiteland Township Police Department led the investigation and was assisted by the Chester County Detectives. Assistant District Attorney Michael Tomcho was the assigned prosecutor. Please remember, if you have concerns about the safety of a child, you should say something. Call 911. Call Childline at 1-800-932-0313. Childline reports can be anonymous.
Oxford Man Sentenced to 8-20 Years for Stalking
On May 27, 2026, Defendant John V. Kearney, a 28-year-old Oxford resident, was sentenced to 8-20 years in state prison by the Honorable Allison Royer for stalking and harassing a victim and attempting to contact her while already serving a prison sentence. Earlier in May, the Defendant was convicted of a total of thirteen counts of Stalking and other related charges.
The Defendant had previously been convicted of stalking the same victim. He followed the victim in broad daylight, violating no-contact orders set in place by the court, making the victim feel threatened, and continued to track the victim to attempt to contact her.
District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe said, “This Defendant just did not get it. He forced his victim to live in what she described as unrelenting fear. Hopefully this sentence brings her some peace.”
