San Pedro Man Gets Five Years for Unlawful Sexual Intercourse With Minor

The High Court today sentenced 23-year-old San Pedro resident Alejandro Choc to five years in prison for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, a disturbing case that has again highlighted the serious and lasting harm caused by sexual crimes against children in Belize.

Choc was originally charged with the rape of a 12-year-old child, stemming from an incident that occurred in August 2021, when he was just months shy of turning 20. However, he later entered into a plea agreement with the Crown and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlawful sexual intercourse. The victim is now 17 years old.  Sentencing was handed down this evening by Justice Candace Nanton. The court set a starting point of 12 years, then applied deductions for mitigating factors, including Choc’s guilty plea, which spared the victim from the trauma of testifying at trial. After applying a one-third reduction for the early plea, along with credit for time already spent on remand, the final sentence was reduced to five years of imprisonment, effective immediately.  Although the plea spared the victim, who is now 17 years old, from public court testimony.  The court, however, still heard a Victim Impact Statement in closed session to understand the emotional and psychological effects the offence had on her life.  Choc had been on bail earlier in the proceedings but was returned to custody on May 7, 2025, after the court revoked his bail for violating reporting conditions. Since then, he has remained at the Belize Central Prison.  He was represented by attorney Abibi Moguel of Lynden Jones & Associates.