Local News in Brief : Santa Ana : Judge Orders Testing in Teacher’s Sex Case

A former varsity basketball coach and teacher in Anaheim who pleaded guilty to charges of molesting two 16-year-old students will undergo an extensive diagnostic analysis prior to his sentencing, a judge decided Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Myron S. Brown put off sentencing of Christopher M. Lee, 41, of Newport Beach, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, to allow time for state corrections officers at Chino to perform full psychiatric tests and other reviews on Lee. The tests could take up to 90 days.

Arrested in January, Lee pleaded guilty in September to felony charges of coercing two students in his English class at Esperanza High School to perform sexual acts during a period of several months.

Prosecutors are urging that Lee be given the maximum 1-year jail sentence for his offense. But defense attorney Ronald G. Brower said in an interview Tuesday that he will recommend that Lee serve only probation, given “his unblemished past” as a respected teacher and community member.

The attorney described the molestation as an unfortunate result of Lee’s “human frailty . . . an extreme lapse in judgment.”

Lee, who coached the varsity basketball team for a year, is on suspension from his duties at the high school pending the resolution of his case in court. He is now working as a supervisor in the construction industry, Brower said.

Lee refused comment as he left the courtroom Tuesday.