A married special education teacher in Illinois was arrested for sexually abusing a 15-year-old student during a tutoring session, prosecutors said. Christina Formella, 30, was arrested during a traffic stop on Sunday, just a day after the teen and his mother went to a Downers Grove police station to report that she had molested the then-15-year-old in December 2023
According to WGNTV, Formella allegedly sexually assaulted the student after he had joined her for a tutoring session at Downers Grove South High School before to the start of classes in 2023. Formella, who married her college sweetheart in August 2024, also reportedly worked as a soccer coach at the school.
Sexual Predator Teacher
DuPage County prosecutors said that Formella was both the boy's soccer coach and tutor, and the alleged sexual assault took place before the start of the school day. She was 28 at the time of the alleged incident.
"The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing," DuPage County Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
"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."
The boy's mother found pout about the alleged sexual assault on Friday while setting up his new phone and linking it to his iCloud account, according to a DuPage County detention petition obtained by the Daily Herald.
While going through the device, she reportedly came across text messages exchanged between her son and Formella that referenced sexual contact and even suggested a relationship.
After confronting her son about the messages, they went together to the Downers Grove Police Department that same day to file a report. Authorities caught up with Formella during a traffic stop in the village on Sunday and took her into custody.
Denying All Allegations
According to the petition, Formella denied the allegations, but prosecutors claim investigators found more evidence suggesting sexual contact between her and the student. Reports indicate that the boy ultimately decided to end their relationship.
Social media photos from Formella's summer wedding show her beaming alongside her tall, athletic husband, who was a baseball player at their alma mater, Concordia University Chicago.
Formella faces charges of two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault.
Following her booking, Formella was released under the condition that she avoid any contact with anybody under 18 and refrain from entering Downers Grove South High School.
According to The Herald, she has also been placed on paid administrative leave from the school. Formella had been teaching at the school since 2020 after earning her teaching license in 2017 and began volunteering as a soccer coach for both boys and girls in 2021.
"We are devastated, and our community is reeling," school principal Arwen Lyp wrote in a message to parents Monday.
"An adult has been charged with the most serious of violations, and trust has been broken. Our team is here to support students who are impacted by this terrible news."
