SVUSD Childcare Worker Gets 27 Years for Molesting 3 Boys

ALISO VIEJO, CA -- A 29-year-old former Saddleback Valley Unified School District childcare worker was sentenced to 27 years to life in state prison Friday for sexually assaulting a boy he was babysitting and molesting two boys in the school program.

Scott Andrew Christensen of Rancho Santa Margarita, who worked in the after-school program for about six years, was convicted in April 2008 of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy he was babysitting.

Jurors in the first trial deadlocked on counts involving a second victim.

In March 2012, Christensen was convicted of molesting two boys in the school program.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary Paer said Christensen "violated his position of trust" with victims who were "particularly young."

The mother of one victim told the judge her son continues to have trouble trusting adults.

"I hope our son was young enough to forget what happened," she said. "But because we're adults, it's something we'll never forget. ... Scott Christensen is a predator in every sense of the word and deserves the strictest of consequences."

Another mother also labeled Christensen a "predator," and said her son asks her if the defendant will ever get out of jail.

"My promise to him is to make sure that never happens," the mother said. "As we all know, this sickness can never be cured."

She urged the judge to give Christensen the maximum punishment.

"Please protect the innocents," she said.

Deputy District Attorney Nagy Morcos argued for 38 years to life for Christensen while defense attorney Gary Pohlson requested 15 years to life.

"I understand the emotions from the family members and I feel badly for them," Pohlson said, adding his client had a clean record before his arrest and had been a "model prisoner" while he was in custody for several years awaiting trial.

Christensen molested two boys during "movie time," when the lights were dimmed at The Learning Connection program at Melinda Heights Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The molestation happened sometime between May 2000 and August 2004, Morcos said.

The boy Christensen sexually assaulted told his mother the defendant performed oral sex on him and then had him do the same to Christensen, Morcos said.

Christensen was convicted of three felony counts of lewd acts on a child younger than 14 and the jury also found sentence-enhancing allegations of substantial sexual conduct with a child and committing sex acts against multiple victims in last year's trial.

In 2008, he was convicted of two felony counts of lewd acts on the 6-year-old boy.

- City News Service