Erick Joseph Kristianson, a former cheerleading coach, has been sentenced to 174 years and 4 months in prison for sexually abusing 10 girls, the youngest of whom was 9 years old. The abuse occurred in Orange County, California, as far back as 1998. The victims were all members of a competitive cheer club he coached. Kristianianson was convicted of 23 felony counts of child sexual assault and faced 105 years in prison. His accusers began speaking out after he was arrested for similar charges against four children in Florida in 2022. Despite his age and his good behavior in Indiana, Kristianianz was urged for lenience based on the ages of the crimes and the severity of the trauma the victims experienced.