Ex-coach gets 23 years for sex abuse

Taylor Johnson is 15, no longer attends public school and is estranged from most of his friends. He can't get a good night's sleep without medication, and for years was too terrified to play baseball again.

His former coach in Redmond, Christopher Stefanik, was sentenced Friday to 23 years in prison for sexually abusing or taking explicit photos of four boys. Johnson was in court, along with two of Stefanik's other victims and their families, to tell their abuser how he shattered their lives — and to inspire more of his victims to come forward.

"We're not ashamed of what happened to us. It wasn't our choice," said Reilly Johnson, 20, Taylor's brother. "Other victims should not be afraid."

Stefanik, 37, pleaded guilty in March to 10 felonies: second-degree child rape, three counts of second-degree child molestation, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of possessing child pornography.

King County Superior Court Judge Nicole MacInnes said she was so moved by what the victims said that she sentenced Stefanik to the maximum time allowed, even though prosecutors recommended 17-½ years, the lowest end of the range.

That Stefanik's crimes "went on for so long, with so much calculation and ... affected so many people is just appalling," MacInnes said.

According to prosecutors, Reilly Johnson was the first victim to come forward, but Stefanik was not charged with abusing him. Stefanik molested him about four years ago when he was 16, after ingratiating himself with the boy and his family for years, Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole said.

But 16 is the state's age of consent, and Stefanik was not Reilly Johnson's coach at the time, so criminal charges could not be filed, O'Toole said.

Stefanik's attorney, Charles McNeese, said his client did not dispute any of the boys' comments in court Friday.

Stefanik sobbed during some of the comments and later apologized to the victims and their families. "I have done so much damage," he said, adding: "I betrayed their trust."

The Seattle Times generally does not publish the names of sex-crime victims, but the victims and their family members who spoke in court Friday approved of their names being used.

"We've finally gotten to the point where we don't want to hide behind it," said Jeffrey Johnson, the father of Reilly and Taylor.

Stefanik was arrested in September 2004 after Reilly and Taylor Johnson told police Stefanik had abused them. A third victim came forward a few days later. And prosecutors filed several more charges in March based on the recollections of two other victims.

Stefanik admitted that between 1999 and 2004 he raped, molested and took explicit photos of one of his 13-year-old players, molested and took explicit photos of another 13-year-old player, molested a 13-year-old neighbor and took explicit photos of a boy who was 6 or 7 years old.

O'Toole said Stefanik has probably victimized "a lot" of other boys who haven't been identified or come forward.

He served eight years as a volunteer coach in the Redmond Baseball Association before being fired for making a sexually suggestive comment to a player about a week before he was arrested, league officials said.

Stefanik also was a chaperone for about five years in the Lake Washington Snowsports Council, which shuttles Eastside children to Snoqualmie Pass for ski trips. He was a coach for a Redmond-area hockey association, was involved with a football team at a junior high school in Redmond and was a volunteer in the Lake Washington School District, according to King County detectives.

A state board will review Stefanik's sentence when he nears his release from prison. He could serve as much as a life sentence if the board were to determine he is a danger to society.

Jeffrey Johnson said he was satisfied with the judge's decision, but "this is a no-win situation" with "horrific impact on lives."

No matter how long Stefanik stays in prison, "all we can do is go forward, one foot in front of the other," Johnson said.

Ashley Bach: 206-464-2567 or abach@seattletimes.com