Christina Formella, Downers Grove South teacher appears in court with ‘loyal’ husband, Michael as alleged sexual predator who groomed 14 year old teen now faces 52 additional charges for sexually assaulting, grooming student victim.
The duped husband of an Illinois teacher accused of grooming and having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old boy was seen standing by his wife as the former Downers Grove high school teacher arrived in court today to face more than 50 new charges against her.
Michael Formella held hands with his newly married wife, Christina Formella, 30, as prosecutors alleged that she told the boy that she had no intention of marrying her husband, that she was going to leave him and get millions of dollars — and that she even sent the teen messages while on vacation with him in Italy, according to the Daily Herald.
@abbylynn0715 Replying to @resu01234567891 I wouldn’t be surprised if Michael Formella didn’t know all of these details before today! #fyp #foryou #crime #truecrime #police #court #news #viral #update #teacher #illinois ♬ original sound – Abby Blabby 💗
Downers Grove teacher faces 52 new additional charges
Formella, who previously taught at Downers Grove South High School in suburban Chicago, is now facing new 52 charges including aggravated sexual assault, aggravated criminal sex abuse and grooming. The female teacher faces up to 60 years jail if convicted.
Footage shared on social media showed the disgraced educator arriving to the DuPage County Circuit Court on Tuesday, hand in hand with her spouse along with her legal defense team. The couple refused to answer questions from waiting press as they entered the court room.
Despite prosecutors urging the judge to revoke Formella’s bail and place her in custody, the judge allowed her to walk free with an ankle monitor. Presiding Judge Mia McPherson added additional restrictions to her freedom, including placing software on her electronics.
‘She knew what she was doing was wrong,’ prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew told the court, according to the Chicago Tribune, adding that she ‘is unbelievably conniving and unbelievably controlling.’
Downers Grove teacher memo and texts to teen victim
Formella allegedly groomed the teen boy before engaging in about 50 ‘sexual acts’ with him overall, including at least 45 times at the school where she is a special education teacher, the prosecutor’s office said.
She also had sex with the boy five times at her home during school hours, according to prosecutors.
The illicit relationship began in January 2023 and only ended in September 2024 because the boy said it was wrong, the State’s Attorney’s office said.
Nevertheless, a love lust, love struck Formella allegedly sought to save their ‘relationship,’ promising the boy she would break up with her then fiancee to be with the teen boy.
‘I’m fking mad I let a 16 year old fk with me like that … in the end, we both lost. You lost the girl who would have stuck with you through thick and thin,’ Formetta wrote, later expressing hope in a section titled ‘Manifestations’ alongside her ‘Memoir’ section she privately kept on her iPhone that the boy would reach back out to her to mend their relationship.
Court documents reveal Formella claimed the student was her ‘stalker’ and denied the charges. She allegedly blamed the teenager for ‘ruining’ her marriage in diary entries found on her phone.
Abuse of position of trust, authority and power
Formella, a college soccer star, and her husband, a college baseball player, tied the knot last summer after meeting at Concordia University Chicago. Prosecutors previously said the spouse had no clue about the alleged illicit affair.
The former educator was initially only charged with three criminal counts and pleaded not guilty to the slew of new charges Tuesday.
Authorities at first believed the alleged crime was more limited before further information came to light with ‘hundreds if not thousands of text messages,’ backing up the alleged victim’s series of events.
Formella’s defense lawyer, Richard Kayne, argued in court Tuesday there was no reason his client should be detained before the trial, considering the new charges in the indictment were handed down last month, but remained sealed.
The lawyer held if Formella was a ‘real threat’, prosecutors would have brought the upgraded case sooner. Or maybe they just needed extra time to meticulously compile the train wreck evidence…?
