CALIFORNIA
The Orange County Register
BY SEAN EMERY / STAFF WRITER
The trial of a volunteer Sunday school teacher suspected of sexually assaulting more than a half-dozen children began Wednesday, as attorneys painted opposing portraits of the man as a devout religious leader and father figure or a serial child molester.
Christopher Bryan McKenzie Sr., 51, is facing two dozen felonies after being accused of having unlawful sexual contact with seven teen and pre-teen boys.
Among the accusers are neighbors and Sunday school students McKenzie met through Rock Harbor church in Costa Mesa, along with two boys whose mother had a long-term relationship with McKenzie. Most of the boys worked with McKenzie, assisting him with his pool cleaning business.
“He seemed to be a man of God; he seemed to have a love in his heart for children,” Deputy District Attorney Heather Brown told the jury during her opening statements Wednesday morning, explaining why parents trusted him with their children.
McKenzie kept his face down and appeared to be taking detailed notes as the prosecutor outlined the sexual abuse claims provided to authorities by seven boys. The alleged misconduct ran from the late 1990s to 2010.
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