Special Ed Teacher Christina Formella Allegedly Sexually Abused Her Student. Inside the Shocking Case and 55 Charges Against Her

need to know

• Former Illinois teacher and football coach Christina Formella faces 55 charges for allegedly sexually abusing a 15-year-old student

• Prosecutors allege Formella “used her position of trust and authority as a mentor and coach to sexually assault minors.”

• Formella was arrested on March 16, 2025

Things have taken a turn for the worse when a special education teacher in Downers Grove, Illinois, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse.

Christina Formella was arrested on March 16, 2025, after the mother of a 15-year-old student allegedly discovered sexually explicit text messages between her son and his teacher, who was also a tutor and football coach. The Downers Grove Police Department later claimed the sexual abuse began in January 2023 and continued through August 2024, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office. At the time, Formella was 28 years old and the student was 15 years old.

“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “She allegedly used her position of trust and authority as a mentor and coach to sexually assault an underage student. The type of abuse and conduct alleged in this case will not be tolerated.”

She was originally charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault of a minor. However, in June 2025, she was charged with an additional 52 counts allegedly involving previously unknown sexual abuse and assaults on students, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Here’s everything you need to know about Christina Formella’s charges and the disturbing content police allegedly found in her Notes app.

Who is Cristina Formella?

Formella was a teacher in Illinois, teaching special education at a high school in Downers Grove, a suburb of Chicago. She begins the 2020-21 school year as the boys and girls soccer coach.

according to Internal versionIn 2024, Formella married her husband in Italy.

What crime is Cristina Formella accused of?

Formella is accused of sexually abusing a student. She was the victim’s soccer coach and tutor, according to police. One of the alleged assaults occurred in December 2023 during a pre-school tutoring session.

When Formella appeared in court in June 2025, prosecutors revealed 52 new charges, for a total of 55, alleging that she had been grooming the victim since he was 14 years old.

Prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew described Formella as “incredibly conniving and controlling” and alleged she had sex with the victim at least 45 times at school, at home and during school hours.

Who were Cristina Formella’s victims?

The alleged victim’s identity has not been released, but police said Formella was his tutor and football coach.

On March 15, 2025, he reported the crime to the local Downers Grove police station with his mother, who allegedly found a text message on his phone from a teacher.

What happened after Cristina Formella was arrested?

On March 16, Formella was arrested during a traffic stop and taken into custody. Law enforcement recorder lens sharer Internal version Photos show her getting out of her husband’s car and being handcuffed. In the back of the police car, she asked the officer if she was in trouble and if her husband was going with her.

In the video, the special education teacher also told the police that she felt like “vomiting” and hugged her knees and cried bitterly.

According to court documents, Formella allegedly told police the sexual abuse began “a year and a half ago,” but she later denied she ever had sex with the victim. The football coach allegedly called him a “stalker” and claimed “everyone follows her because she’s good-looking and she’s just a good person who cares too much about other people” [the victim]”.

What did police allegedly find on Cristina Formella’s phone?

Days after her arrest, People obtained court documents that included several explicit text messages, one of which allegedly read: “I love you so much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect.”

When asked about the messages, the teacher claimed the victim took her phone during class and sent the text messages to herself before deleting them on her phone. He then kept the text messages on his phone as “blackmail,” she said.

Police also allegedly discovered a “memoir” written by Formella about the victim in her Notes app. In the letter, she expressed her anger that he had “cheated” on her and called him “disgusting.”

“We will never be together again,” the teacher allegedly wrote. “I am not a second choice. Even with all the mistakes I make, I am still the best thing you have ever had.”

There was also a section called “Performance,” in which she allegedly wrote that the victim would contact her soon to “try to resolve the issues between them.” She continued, “At the same time, I’m going to live my best life because I know he’s not who I thought he was and that he’s beneath me.”

When asked about the content allegedly found on her Notes app, Formella claimed it was an outlet for her anxiety and that any content involving sexual activity was related to her husband, according to the petition.

What happens next in Cristina Formella’s case?

During his first court appearance, Formella was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault of a minor.

The court denied a motion to detain her pending trial and released her on the condition that she not enter Downers Grove South High School or have contact with anyone under the age of 18. She was also placed on administrative leave from the school.

When Formella appeared in court again in June 2025, she was hit with 52 additional charges, according to multiple media reports. chicago tribune. She also gave up her teaching license and quit her job at the high school.

If convicted, Formella faces up to 60 years in prison.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, call the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 and text “STRENGTH” to be connected with a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rain net.

Read the original article on People