Married teacher arrives at court accused of ‘raping boy, 15’

New footage shows a married teacher arriving at court supported by her husband where she’s accused of raping a former student.

The American teacher accused of raping a 15-year-old has been seen arriving “glammed-up” to court on charges of molesting her former student.

Christina Formella, a special-education teacher and soccer coach at Downers Grove South High School in Chicago, was charged last month after the boy’s mother reported alleged sexual contact between the pair to police.

The married teacher, 30, now faces two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor.

On Monday, she fronted court where she pleaded not guilty, according to an exclusive report from the New York Post.

According to the publication, Formella “appeared glammed up with a full face of make-up” as she entered the DuPage County Courthouse.

She was also joined by her husband Michael, a childhood sweetheart she married in a lavish destination wedding in Italy’s Amalfi Coast last July – just nine months before the charges were laid.

Michael reportedly sat “emotionless in court” as the prosecution went over the charges against his wife, and set out how — if convicted — she would have to sign on to the sex offender registry.

Her father-in-law, Randy Formella, was also in court, the New York Post reported.

The Formella family – who run an Italian food manufacturing business – haven’t spoken publicly about the allegations.

Christina Formella was seen arriving at court where she is accused of raping a former student, then aged 15. Picture: NY Post/Supplied

The 30-year-old was reportedly ‘glammed up’ for her court appearance and was seen arriving alongside her husband Michael. Picture: NY Post/Supplied

Formella was initially charged in March, with dramatic police bodycam footage showing the moment she realised she was the subject of police investigation.

The special ed teacher first met the student in 2023 when she was his first-year soccer coach but then began tutoring the boy in private sessions after he broke his collarbone, documents obtained by TMZ allege.

Within weeks the young educator is accused of initially messaging the boy on a digital school platform – which then quickly escalated into “flirty texts” and eventually a sexual encounter during a tutoring session in a classroom.

The horrifying extent of the alleged abuse only came to light several months later when the boy’s mum bought him a new phone and uncovered a string of “inappropriate” texts from his former teacher.

She pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor. Picture: Supplied

‘Sordid’ details of alleged abuse emerge

Court documents claim Formella initiated contact with the student before it progressed to provocative texts, followed by a FaceTime meeting and eventually an alleged horrifying incident in a classroom, TMZ reported previously.

They both allegedly took off her leggings, and he put on a condom and had sex with Formella. He was 15 and she was 28 at the time, prosecutors allege.

Text messages between them show they allegedly later acknowledged to each other what they did was “wrong”, and never had sex again, with contact ending between them in February 2024.

‘Am I in trouble?’

The details, described as “sordid” by one US publication, comes after the police bodycam footage was released.

In the clip, the teacher can be seen being approached by officers as she sat in her car next to her husband.

Formella, who is dressed in a baggy hoodie and blue jeans, is seen being placed into handcuffs before the video cuts to her inside the cop car.

“Am I in trouble?” she asks police. “I’m so scared right now.”

The video then cuts again to show the accused teacher being placed back into the vehicle following her interview with police where she subsequently learnt of her charges.

Formella can be heard repeating, “oh my God, oh my God’, to herself as she wept from the back seat of the police car.

Bodycam footage shows her asking police, ‘Am I in trouble?’ Picture: Supplied

Mum finds alleged ‘lurid’ texts

Initial reports of her arrest contained text messages Formella had allegedly sent the 15-year-old which were revealed when court records were released.

One read, “I love having sex with you,” as others contained “lurid lines” she reportedly sent the boy, the New York Post reported on March 19.

“I love you so so much mama,” the boy sent Formella in one text.

“I love you sooooo much baby … Even though this morning was short, it was perfect,” the teacher, then 28, allegedly responded.

“I know baby it was perfect baby so perfect,” the boy replied back, before Formella opined about how much she loved having sex with him.

“I know baby I love it so much … It feels so good … It’s so passionate … It’s so intimate … It’s so perfect,” the boy said.

She recently married her high school sweetheart. Picture: Facebook

After police arrested Formella, they allegedly found writings in her phone’s Notes app that further suggested a sexual relationship with her underage student, the court documents showed.

But Formella claimed the material in that app was just an “outlet for her anxiety,” and that any sexual material was only about her husband.

The now-former teacher has denied the allegations, instead insisting she’s the victim of a frame job and “blackmail” from the boy she tutored and coached — and that people are targeting her because she’s “good-looking”.

Formella began teaching at Downers Grove High in 2020 after earning her teaching licence in 2017. She has since been placed on paid leave from her job.

Originally published as Married teacher arrives at court accused of ‘raping boy, 15’