A 30-year-old special education teacher and soccer coach in Illinois has been arrested and charged with sexual assault after allegedly abusing a 15-year-old student during a tutoring session at Downers Grove South High School.
Christina Formella is accused of sexually assaulting the teenage boy in a classroom before school in December 2023. The Downers Grove Police Department reports that the alleged assault occurred during a tutoring session.
The investigation began after the boy’s mother discovered explicit text messages on her son’s phone and reported the incident to police on March 15th.
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Formella was apprehended during a traffic stop on March 16th. Her husband was present at the time of her arrest.
WATCH the arrest:
“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “It is alleged that she used her position of trust and authority as a tutor and a coach to sexually assault a minor student. The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated.”
Court documents reveal that investigators found explicit text messages between Formella and the student detailing the alleged abuse. Formella also reportedly wrote about the boy in the Notes app on her phone.
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Formella, who has been placed on paid leave by the school, faces two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault. She was released after her initial court appearance with the condition that she have no contact with anyone under the age of 18.
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