Bodycam Video Shows Special Ed Teacher Accused Of Raping Teen’s Arrest

By Jason Hall

Photo: DuPage County State Attorney/Downers Grove Police Department

Bodycam and dashcam footage shows the exact moment a married soccer coach and special education teacher who later claimed she’s was being accused of sexually assaulting a student because she is “good-looking” was arrested.

Christina Formella, 30, who worked at Downers Grove South High School in Illinois, faces one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, one count of criminal sexual assault, and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, all of which are felony charges after being arrested by detectives during a traffic stop on March 16, according to a Dupage County State Attorney’s Office news post. Footage of Formella’s arrest, which took place after she was pulled over by a Downer’s Grove Police officer while driving with her husband, was shared by the YouTube channel Ape Huncho.

“Oh my God. What the f**k?” Formella repeated while sobbing in the police vehicle via dashcam footage.

Formella appeared in court on March 17 and denied the sexual assault allegations, which were reported to have taken place two years earlier, claiming “everybody comes after her because she is good-looking and she is just a good person who cared too much about [the victim],” according to court documents obtained by WGN9. The teacher and student allegedly exchanged text messages professing love for each other and talking explicitly about sex they had in a classroom, which was found by the teen’s mother on his iCloud account.

“I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect,” Formella, who was 28 at the time, allegedly wrote to the boy.

The teacher claims the boy, who was 15 at the time, got possession of her phone and sent himself explicit messages as part of a blackmail scheme. The boy’s mother initially reported inappropriate sexual contact with her son’s soccer coach and tutor to the Downers Grove Police Department on March 15.

Authorities allege that Formella sexually assaulted the boy while the two had been inside a classroom for a tutoring session prior to the start of the school day in December 2023. School officials confirmed to the Independent that Formella, who began working at Downers Grove South High School as a special education teacher in August 2020 and volunteered as a soccer coach for the boys and girls teams in 2021, was “immediately placed on administrative leave.” Board of Education President Don Renner confirmed that the teacher was prohibited from being on school grounds.

Formella was released on bail and her next court appearance is scheduled for April. Photos shared on social media show that Formella and her husband were married as recently as August.

Video Shows Special Ed Teacher Break Down in Tears, Plead for Husband After Police Arrest Her for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting Student

Christina Formella, 30, is facing abuse charges after being taken into custody on March 16, authorities stated

By 

Becca Longmire

Published on April 2, 2025 09:56AM EDT

60Comments

• An Illinois special education teacher broke down in tears in police footage as she was taken into custody before being accused of sexually assaulting an underage student
• “I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” the woman, who has since been identified as Christina Formella, 30, said in the clip
• The suspect is facing abuse charges after the alleged victim’s mother found a text message thread between her son and the teacher, authorities stated

An Illinois special education teacher broke down in tears as she was taken into custody in police footage before being accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student.

In the clip, Christina Formella, 30, was seen exiting her and her husband’s car, as a Downers Grove police officer said, “You can just grab whatever you need.”

“Whatever I need?” she asked, as her husband questioned while in the passenger seat, “Is she going somewhere?”

“Yeah, we’re going to explain everything to you guys,” the officer insisted, before handcuffing the suspect in the clip shared by news.com.au.

“Excuse me, is my husband coming with?” Formella said as she sat in the back of the car, adding, “Am I in trouble? I am so lost right now.”

“I feel like I’m gonna throw up,” the suspect then said as an officer went to get her a bag as she hugged her knees and cried.

Authorities previously confirmed Formella’s arrest in a statement on the DuPage County website. “On March 16, 2025, Downers Grove detectives conducted a traffic stop on Formella and took her into custody,” the post read.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Downers Grove Chief of Police Michael DeVries then said in a March 17 update that a Downers Grove woman had “been accused of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student,” stating she’d been charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor.

“The victim’s mother discovered the alleged assault when looking through her son’s text message thread on his cell phone,” the statement said.

Court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE showed several explicit text messages that had allegedly been sent from the married special education teacher and soccer coach to the underage student. Authorities allege the texts discuss the details of the sexual abuse.

“I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect,” Formella allegedly texted the 15-year-old boy.

In another alleged text, Formella wrote: “I love having sex with you,” per the documents.

Formella allegedly told police the sexual abuse started “a year and a half ago,” according to the documents previously reviewed by PEOPLE.

The teacher, who was released on bond, also allegedly wrote about the 15-year-old boy in the “Notes” app on her phone.

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Formella, who has taught in the high school’s special services department since 2020, also coached boys’ and girls’ soccer. 

“The allegations against Ms. Formella are extremely disturbing,” Berlin, the state’s attorney, said. “The type of abuse and behavior alleged in this case will not be tolerated.”

Formella’s next court appearance is on April 14.

The Downers Grove Police Department and the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information regarding the police footage.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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.

Rebekah Scanlan@rebekahscanlan

3 min read

April 15, 2025 – 1:48PM

00:06 / 00:55

Bodycam shows married woman being arrested for allegedly raping boy, 15

Newly released police footage of teacher, Christina Formella, reveals the moment she was reprimanded…more

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.

Teacher accused of raping 15-year-old arrives glammed-up to court

Teacher accused of raping a 15-year-old…more

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.