Coach Sentenced to 174 Years for Abusing Girls

It's April 24.

From your city to your ears, this is California News today, powered by AI.

A former Orange County cheerleading coach just got hit with a sentence of 174 years to

life for sexually abusing 10 girls over.

Two decades.

Eric Joseph Christensen, 46 years old from Tennessee, was convicted last December on 23

felony counts after a long investigation, tied him to a tax starting in the late 1990s.

He used his roles at places like Magic All-Star Cheer, Chirbooko Hills High School, and

YMCA camps to groom young victims, some as young as nine.

The abuse stretched from 1998 through the mid-2000s, and he dodged real charges back in 2005

when deputies questioned him.

In court, Survivor shared raw pain, calling him a monster who wrecked their lives with

manipulation and rejection.

His mom and a family friend begged for mercy, painting him as caring, but the process

secuted stress the lasting trauma and the judge slammed him for.

Treating kids like disposable objects, the case blew open in 2022.

After his Florida arrest brought California victims forward, leading to his extradition

from North Dakota in 2023, officials worry there could be more undisclosed victims from

his time in other states.

This ruling locks him away for good, giving some closure to those 10 brave survivors, while

serving as a stark warning about predators hiding in plain.

That among our kids.