D.A. alleges pool cleaner had 2 more victims

Charges now up to 4 victims, including the 2 from Newport. Man is accused of sexual relationship with a third minor, distributing pornography to another.

December 03, 2012|By Jeremiah Dobruck

A Costa Mesa pool cleaner accused by Newport Beach police of molesting two boys allegedly had inappropriate sexual contact with a third victim and distributed pornography through a fourth, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

One victim may have been abused as recently as January.

Newport Beach police announced Saturday that Christopher Bryan McKenzie, 48, of Costa Mesa had been arrested on suspicion of having years-long sexual relationships with two boys starting at ages 8 and 16.

It was unknown as of 4:30 p.m. Monday if any of the victims attended Costa Mesa's popular Rock Harbor Church, where McKenzie was a volunteer Sunday school teacher. Church leaders issued a statement saying that volunteers are not left alone with children and that they had no reason to believe McKenzie acted inappropriately with members of the congregation.

McKenzie was charged with 10 felony counts of lewd acts upon a child younger than 14, four felony counts of using a minor for the distribution of obscene matter, and two felony counts of distributing pornography to a minor with sentencing enhancements for substantial sexual conduct with a child and committing lewd acts upon a child younger than 14 against more than one victim.

One relationship reported Saturday allegedly stretched from the late 1990s to 2005, with the second lasting from 2005 to 2007. Those crimes took place in Newport Beach, police said.

McKenzie, however, allegedly had a third victim younger than 14 with whom he made sexual contact, according to the charges prosecutors filed Monday in Orange County Superior Court.

That alleged abuse, including an instance at a pool, occurred at least five times between Jan. 9, 2010, and Jan. 8, 2012.

McKenzie also used a fourth minor to distribute obscene material between Nov. 8, 2009, and Nov. 7, 2011, court documents allege. No other details about that charge were available.

The prosecutor handling the cases was in court Monday and could not be reached. The Daily Pilot obtained a copy of the complaint.

The age and gender of the two additional victims, as well as locations where the alleged crimes took place, were not immediately available.

McKenzie cleaned pools throughout Orange County.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison. He is being held on $1-million bail and was scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon.

jeremiah.dobruck2@latimes.com

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck

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