Sunnyside High School coach arrested for allegedly molesting student

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A student admitted to her parents about her affair with a high school softball coach, prompting his arrest and the investigation into more possible victims.

Christopher Ybarra is now in jail after being charged with felony child molestation. The 30-year-old has been a softball coach at Sunnyside High School for two years.

Most students at Sunnyside High School on Friday had no idea their varsity softball coach was booked into jail for allegedly molesting a student there. Fresno Unified school officials were in the process of informing the softball team players and their parents.

"We are contacting parents from the softball team today, and we will be hosting a meeting with those parents today to share with them the information that we can share and to offer any counseling services that are available for those students," said Micheline Golden with the Fresno Unified School District.

A Photobucket page published by the coach shows him interacting with players during one of last year's playoff games.

Christopher Ybarra -- known as Christopher Freitas on campus -- was arrested on Tuesday after a girl's parents became aware of their daughter's inappropriate relationship with the 30-year-old.

Police say the Sunnyside student had sexual encounters with the varsity softball coach for a year. They say the student ended things back in July, after realizing the relationship was wrong.

"It was friendly initially, and then led to groping and kissing, and then eventually to the sex crimes that he committed," said Fresno Police Lt. Joe Gomez.

Ybarra has been the head softball coach at Sunnyside for two seasons. He was on a supplemental contract with Fresno Unified for the softball season and is not a year-round employee or teacher. District officials say they won't make a decision about whether another contract will be offered to him, until the end of the criminal investigation.

"The district immediately contacted Ybarra and let him know pending the outcome of the investigation he was not to be on any campuses and not to have any contact with our students," said Golden.

Investigators believe there may be two more victims -- one other student at Sunnyside and a student who is now in college.

Ybarra's attorney told Action News that her client pled not guilty to the charges Friday morning, and that his wife and children stand behind him.