A grand jury in DuPage County has indicted an Illinois high school teacher on 52 additional felony charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old student.
The teacher, 30-year-old Christina Formella, now faces dozens of new counts including sexual assault, grooming, and indecent solicitation of a child.
The indictment, announced in June by DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, includes 20 counts of sexual assault and 20 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
An investigation alleges the abuse began in January 2023 and continued through August or September 2024, during which Formella and the student allegedly engaged in sexual acts approximately 50 times, primarily at the school.
Case Stemmed from Initial Report in Late 2023
The investigation began after the victim’s mother discovered text messages between her son and Formella and contacted the Downers Grove Police Department.
Formella, who was also the student’s soccer coach at Downers Grove South High School, was initially arrested in March 2025 and charged with three felony sex crimes related to an incident alleged to have occurred in a classroom.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin described the new allegations as “beyond disturbing” and credited the victim for his courage in coming forward.
Formella appeared in court for a status hearing where a second petition from the state to deny her pretrial release was denied by the judge. Her next scheduled court appearance is on August 4, 2025.