A former cheerleading coach has been sentenced to nearly 200 years in prison after being convicted for sexual abuse of 10 girls, the youngest of which was 9 years old.
Erick Joseph Kristianson sexually assaulted the girls in Orange County, California, beginning as far back as 1998, according to prosecutors.
‘Because of the rejection and stonewalling, I spiraled. … I wanted to die. I hated myself.’
Kristianson was convicted of 23 felony counts of child sexual assault and faced 105 years in prison, according to a previous statement from Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, as previously reported by Blaze News.
After considering the facts of the case, Kristianson was sentenced to 174 years and 4 months in prison by Orange County Superior Court Judge Kevin Haskins.
Kristianson’s accusers began to speak out about their abuse after he was arrested for similar charges against four children between 11 and 13 years old in Daytona Beach, Florida, in 2022. The victims were all members of a competitive cheer club he coached.
Some of the victims were targeted while they were on cheerleading squads at Trabuco Hills High School as well as the Magic All-Stars in California.
One victim testified about the emotional toll from the sexual abuse by Kristianson when she was 14 years old.
“One minute I was the happiest I’ve ever been in love, and the next moment, I was discarded,” the victim said.
“Because of the rejection and stonewalling, I spiraled. … I wanted to die. I hated myself,” she added.
Another victim called him a “monster” and a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” At least two of the victims fell into drug and alcohol abuse as a result of the sexual assault they suffered.
Kristianson’s family members asked for lenience based on the ages of the crimes as well as his reported good behavior in Indiana, where he resided since his arrest.
His mother claimed, “He is a caring, loving person,” and said he shouldn’t be judged on actions from “twenty-some years ago.”
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Deputy District Attorney Juliet Oliver argued against them, saying, “Despite the amount of time passed, the trauma these victims have experienced is real.”
Kristianson was originally from Antioch, Tennessee.
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