A teacher in suburban Downers Grove has been charged with multiple felonies over an alleged sexual relationship with a student.
A teacher in suburban Downers Grove has been charged with multiple felonies over an alleged sexual relationship with a student.
According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney, 30-year-old Christina Formella has been charged with criminal sexual assault and abuse in connection with the case, which dates back to Dec. 2023.
At that time, a then-15-year-old student at Downers Grove South High School was in a tutoring session with the teacher when she allegedly sexually assaulted him.
The student’s mother discovered the alleged assault when looking through text messages on her son’s phone, according to authorities. The mother took her son to the Downers Grove police station to make the allegations known to law enforcement, and Formella was taken into custody on Sunday, the state’s attorney said.
“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said. “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 state’s attorneys petition to detain the suspect pretrial was denied, according to Berlin’s office. Formella has been ordered to stay away from Downers Grove South High School, and cannot come into contact with anyone under the age of 18 pending her next court hearing.
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