Judge Gives Philly Writer Even More Prison Time Than He Was Supposed to Get in Child Sex Offense Case

Left: Philadelphia writer and journalist Michael Hochman in a provided photo. Right: Michael Hochman in his most recent Pennsylvania Megan’s Law registry photo.

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Philadelphia Writer Michael Hochman Gets 20 Years In Child Sex Offense Case

Longtime Philadelphia writer Michael Hochman, who worked for Visit Philly and Crossing Broad and penned at least one piece for the Inquirer, is now a two-time child sex offender. Late last week, a judge sentenced Hochman to 20 years in federal prison on a charge that he possessed child sex abuse materials, five years more than he was expecting.

The FBI arrested Hochman in June after a two-year investigation that began in St. Louis, where a woman reported that her 15-year-old daughter had been engaged in sexually explicit chats with a man, chats that included the exchange of sexually explicit images and videos. That investigation eventually led authorities to identify Hochman as the man behind the messages, and they executed a search warrant on him in August 2024, seizing devices that prosecutors alleged contained thousands of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.

Last April, as investigators continued to build their case, Hochman solicited generic letters of support from employers and other organizations he’d worked with, including two letters that came from Visit Philly executives. Philly Mag probed these letters for a story we published in late October, determining that the writers were unaware that their letters were to be used to support the character of a sex offender. The FBI determined the same after interviewing the authors, who withdrew their letters of support after reading our story.

Hochman, of Huntingdon Valley, was already in Pennsylvania’s sex-offender registry at the time of his arrest. That dates back to 2002, when a court in Kansas convicted Hochman of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

“What I have learned from the court documents is truly some of the most vile stuff I’ve ever heard of in my life, and I’m a licensed therapist of more than 20 years,” says Jessica MacNair, a longtime friend of Hochman’s. “I only found out about who he really is from your first article about him in June. He truly led a double life.”

In the latest case, prosecutors and Hochman’s attorney made a plea deal of 15 years, but at sentencing last week, the judge decided 15 just wasn’t enough and added on another five years, also labeling Hochman’s acts “vile.”

A SEPTA Strike?

Nope. Governor Josh Shapiro convinced the parties to return to the negotiating table on Monday, and a tentative deal has been reached. So expect SEPTA service to stay normal for now – whatever normal means for SEPTA these days.

By the Numbers

$47,000: Current bid on the 2024 Super Bowl ring belonging to some guy named Laekin Vakalahi, who apparently played for our championship team. It’s estimated to be worth at least $80,000. Heck, I’ll pay you $20 if you can tell me what his position was without peeking at the story.

1: Golden Globe nominations involving Task, the critically acclaimed, locally shot HBO series by Main Line writer Brad Ingelsby. Task is Ingelsby’s followup to Mare of Easttown, which received two Globe nominations and won one.

$8.6 million: Grants just awarded to 28 local arts organizations (those grants range from $80,000 to $360,000) and 12 Philly-area artists ($85,000 each) by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

Local Talent

Congrats to Philly drag queen Mandy Mango, who is joining the 18th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race on MTV, which still exists (?!). Season 18 kicks off in January with Mango, a registered nurse by day, battling it out with 13 other queens for the $200,000 prize.