A former Illinois teacher is in deep trouble after prosecutors slapped her with more than 50 new charges linked to the alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old student. Christina Formella, a 30-year-old who used to teach at Downers Grove South High School, was first charged back in March over claims she had an inappropriate relationship with the teenager.
Now, things have gotten even worse for her—a grand jury has added a string of fresh accusations, including 20 counts of criminal sexual assault, 20 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, six counts of indecent solicitation, and six counts of grooming.
Authorities say the abuse started in January 2023 and carried on until September last year. The whole thing allegedly began during a tutoring session when Formella is accused of sexually assaulting the boy.
The boy’s mum reportedly found out after spotting suspicious messages on his phone, which led the family straight to the police. Investigators claim Formella sent the boy texts that were “grooming in nature,” and the pair are said to have had sexual contact around 50 times—both at the school and at her home.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin didn’t mince his words, calling the allegations “beyond disturbing.” He praised the victim for coming forward and thanked investigators for their work, saying, “I thank the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward… I also thank the DuPage County Children’s Center, particularly Investigator George Fencl, as well as Assistant State’s Attorneys Jaclyn McAndrew and Michael Fisher for their work not only in this case but for their continued efforts protecting our children.”
With these new indictments, Formella could be facing a very long time behind bars if convicted. It’s yet another grim case in a growing list of teacher-student abuse scandals, raising serious questions about how schools handle safeguarding.