California cheerleading coach Erick Joseph Kristianson has been arrested on a sweeping list of felony child molestation charges after authorities alleged he sexually abused at least 10 girls, some as young as nine years old, in a case that has horrified parents and raised serious questions about safety in youth sports programs.
Erick Joseph Kristianson coached the Magic All-Stars cheerleading club and was an assistant cheer coach at Trabuco Hills High School. Th California cheerleading coach was convicted for the child sexual abuse crime on Tuesday on child molestation charged and faces a 165-year prison sentence. Kristianson reportedly sexually abused his victims when he was serving as a competitive cheerleading coach and cheer camp counselor in Orange County during the early 2000s.
Erick Joseph Kristiansonwho first arrested while working in Florida. The cheerleading reportedly targeted, groomed, and sexually molested p girls at cheerleading competitions, and often even molested them at his own home.
⚖️ CONVICTED: SoCal Cheer Coach Faces 150+ Years for Serial Child Molestation
Erick Joseph Kristianson, a 46-year-old former competitive cheerleading coach, was convicted on Monday of 23 felony counts for molesting several girls in Orange County, California.
The Tennessee… pic.twitter.com/2Vx2olgo0C
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) December 17, 2025
According to Orange County, California prosecutors, the cheerleading coach was taken into custody following an extensive investigation into allegations that he sexually abused the young cheerleaders on the competitive cheer team. Law enforcement officials say the alleged victims were between the ages of 9 and 10 at the time of the incidents, which are said to have occurred over several years while the youth cheerleaders were under the coach’s supervision.
Investigators maintain the California cheerleading coach used his position of trust and authority to gain access to the young cheerleaders, isolating them during practices, private training sessions and cheer-related activities. Orange County prosecutors say the child molestation took place when the cheerleaders were separated from teammates or other adults, making it difficult for them to immediately report what was happening.
The California child molestation investigation began after one cheerleader told an adult about the sexual assault, prompting a report to police. As Orange County detectives followed up, additional cheerleading families came forward, and authorities say a pattern of alleged child molestation emerged. By the time the child abuse arrest was made, at least 10 alleged victims had been identified, though investigators believe more may exist.
“For decades, Erick Kristianson used cheerleading gyms in Orange County and across the country as a kind of perverted catalog from which to select the next young girl he was going to molest,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
The California cheerleading coach now faces numerous felony charges, including lewd and lascivious acts on a child and continuous sexual abuse of a minor. Orange County prosecutors say that if the charges ultimately result in convictions, the potential sentence could total up to 165 years in state prison due to the number of alleged victims and the seriousness of the offenses.
SANTA ANA, Calif.—A cheerleader coach made his first appearance in court on May 10 on charges of molesting six girls in Orange County.
Erick Joseph Kristianson, 44, of Antioch, Tennessee, was booked into the Orange County Jail on May 8 on multiple # #https://t.co/8pWBv93Jcb pic.twitter.com/m4kRqeUfQ3
— Mike Izzo (@izzorv6) May 12, 2023
California police officials described the allegations as deeply disturbing, emphasizing that the accused is alleged to have exploited children who trusted him as a mentor and coach. Authorities stressed that the case remains under investigation and encouraged any additional victims or witnesses to come forward.
Parents whose children participated in the California cheer program expressed shock and anger after learning of the arrest. Several said they believed their daughters were in a safe, structured environment focused on teamwork, discipline and athletic development.
“This is every parent’s nightmare,” one parent said according to a NY Post report. “You trust someone with your child, and then you find out something like this may have been happening right in front of you.”
The California cheerleading coaches child molestation of his cheerleaders in Orange County only came to light after Erick Kristianson was caught in Daytona Beach, Florida, for allegedly sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl and masturbating during a FaceTime call with three young girls. The alleged victims in the Florida child molestation case were all cheerleaders for the Champion Elite Legacy — the competitive cheer club where Erick Kristianson was working at the time.
