Recently released body cam footage shows Illinois special education teacher Christina Formella hugging her knees and crying while she was getting arrested. Formella has been accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old student she had been tutoring.
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According to a DuPage County statement, Downers Grove detectives conducted a traffic stop on Formella on March 16, 2025. Only a day earlier, the 15-year-old victim and his mother had reported the alleged sexual contact to the Downers Grove Police Department.
Body cam footage shared by news.com.au shows a deputy approaching Formella and her husband as they were exiting their vehicle. "You can just grab whatever you need," the deputy told Formella. She answers, "Whatever I need?" The deputy then told her to grab her purse or phone.
Her husband, still sitting in the passenger's seat, asks if Formella is going somewhere. The deputy says, "Yeah, we're going to explain everything to you guys." The video cuts to the deputy putting handcuffs on Formella, and arresting her.
While on the police car, Formella asks, "Excuse me, is my husband coming with?" The deputy tells Formella that they are in touch with her husband. She, however, says that she prefers that he stay alongside her. "Am I in trouble? I am so lost right now," Formella asked, apparently confused.
Upon arrival at Downers Grove, Formella is seen visibly upset. "I feel like I'm gonna throw up," she said while crying and hugging her legs. She was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault.
Extremely Disturbing
As per the DuPage County statement, the victim's mother found out about the alleged sexual abuse after reading through her son's text messages. Court documents obtained by PEOPLE showed explicit, sexually charged text messages Christina Formella allegedly sent the 15-year-old boy.
"I love you sooooo much baby... Even though this morning was short, it was perfect," Formella allegedly texted. "I love having sex with you," reads another alleged message.
PEOPLE reported that Formella allegedly told police that the sexual abuse started "a year and a half ago," as written in court documents.
"The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said. "The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated."
Downers Grove Chief of Police Michael DeVries also addressed Formella's case, thanking ther detectives for investigating what he called a "concerning case."
The safety and well-being of our children remain our highest priority," DeVries said. "We will take all necessary actions to ensure that anyone engaging in this type of conduct is held accountable."
