Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Married Teacher Accused of Sex With Student Makes Shocking Request

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

Christina Formella, the Illinois teacher facing more than 50 charges involving an allegation that she had sex with a student, asked a judge to modify the terms of her release. Formella is on GPS monitoring and has been ordered to stay 5,000 feet away from the teenage boy she is accused of assaulting. But Formella wanted that distance cut in half. Law&Crime’s Angenette Levy goes over what the judge decided in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code CRIMEFIX at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: http://incogni.com/crimefixHost:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5Producer:Jordan ChaconCRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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You're Christina? Yes. Okay, Christina, do me a favor. Can you step out of the car for me? A new wrinkle in the case of that Illinois teacher accused of having sex with a student in her classroom and at her house. She loses that request in court after she asks the judge to loosen the terms of her release. I take a look at what Christina Formella wanted and why the judge said, no dice. I'm Anjana Levy and this is Crime Fix. Christina Formella is in big trouble with the law.

I've told you about her before. She's that former high school teacher and coach from Downers Grove outside of Chicago who's accused of having sex with a male student in her classroom. Formella isn't in jail as she awaits trial on more than 50 charges, including aggravated criminal sexual abuse and decent solicitation of a child and groomer. She's actually on GPS monitoring. She has an ankle bracelet and she's not allowed to go within 5,000 feet of the teenage boy

she's accused of having sex with in her classroom and at her house. But this week she was back in court. She was asking a judge to modify the conditions of her release and modify the buffer zone to 2,500 feet since the teenage boy works within a mile of her home. Formella had been ordered to stay 5,000 feet away from this boy. She's apparently been living with her parents since last month when she last appeared in court and prosecutors revealed an indictment

that included a whopping 52 new charges. Prosecutors said at the time that police had discovered Formella sent the boy hundreds and maybe even thousands of messages that were grooming in nature. They also said that she had sex with the boy at her house and at South Downers Grove High School, where the boy was a student and Formella was a teacher. TikToker, Abbie Blabby actually recorded Christina Formella walking into court to ask for the terms of her release to be modified.

Her husband, Michael, was with her holding her hand. Michael, were you aware of those 52 new charges? How do you feel? How do you feel knowing she was sneaking this child into your home and hiding any evidence? Judge Mia McPherson denied Christina Formella's request to cut that buffer zone in half, saying she wanted to protect the victim in the case. Last month, prosecutors said Formella told the victim that she planned to leave her husband and take him for millions in a divorce, prosecutors called her conniving and incredibly controlling.

They said the relationship between Formella and the boy started in January of 2023, but ended in September of 2024 when the boy said it was wrong. Formella, the prosecutor said, even messaged that boy while she was vacationing with her husband in Italy. The investigation actually started back in March. At first, police said that Formella claimed when they questioned her that they only had sex once and that the student came on to her. She also claimed that people tried to get her into trouble because she's good looking. But prosecutors said after investigating further, they found that Formella

had sex with that teenage boy more than 50 times and that the former special education teacher, remember, she was the adult in this situation and in a position of authority, started grooming the student when he was just 14. Now, as I mentioned earlier, the investigation actually started back in March when police were contacted by the teenage boy's mother. Let's take a look one more time at that body camera footage. Hey, how you doing? Hi. Officer Guzman with Downers Grove.

Do you have your license on you? Yes. Tonight? Yeah, I'm gonna explain. I'm sure you're confused. I'll explain everything to you. You're Christina? Yes.

Okay, Christina, do me a favor. Can you step out of the car for me? I know you're confused. I'll explain everything to you. You don't have anything to explain? No. Okay, Christina, do me a favor. Can you step out of the car for me? I know you're confused. I'll explain everything to you. You don't have anything on you? You can grab whatever you need.

Whatever I need? Yeah, whatever you need, like your phone, your purse, go ahead and grab it. Is she going somewhere? Yeah, we're going to explain everything to you guys. Our content really shows how important personal safety is, and that's especially true when it comes to protecting your privacy online. You would be shocked at how much of your personal information is being used to protect your privacy. shows how important personal safety is, and that's especially true when it comes to protecting

your privacy online. You would be shocked at how much of your personal information is out there, like your address and phone number. Ever wonder why you get so many spam calls and emails? That's because this information is all public. That's where our sponsor, Incogni, comes in. It's a service that helps you take control of your online privacy by removing your personal data from data brokers, huge companies that sell

and trade your info without your permission. Incogni found more than 50 plus brokers with my information. And here's the kicker, these data brokers have to remove you from their database if you ask them to. Now you're probably thinking, Anjanette, who in the heck has time to contact a data broker? Well, that again is where Incogni comes in. They contact those companies for you to get your online safety back.

You don't have to do a thing and then they alert you after the request has been completed. After signing up, I get virtually no spam now. So I highly recommend giving Incogni a try. Right now, anyone who uses code crimefix at incogni.com slash crimefix gets 60% off. That's code crimefix and incogni.com slash crimefix for 60% off an annual Incogni plan. The mother of the boy that Formella is accused of having sex with went to police after the state attorney said she found text messages between her son and for Mella on his phone or on those texts a little later. It's not

a shock at all that the mother reported it to police. But Christina for Mella, she appears shocked when police approach her. Now back to that video. I get it. Yeah, you can go grab your things. Can you come with me? Yes, yes. You say that right for right now. So just stay there. But yes, you can. Come on back here. Shut the car off. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. It was off. So back over here. So we do have an investigation going on. We have to talk to you about it

at the police department. Okay? So we're gonna put everything to you there. It's not my investigation. I don't know the full details. We do have to bring you there though. Okay? So I do have to put you in handcuffs and bring you to the police department. Just a doctor. Handcuffs? Yes, unfortunately, yes. I'm like willing to go with you. I get it. Yeah, unfortunately we have to do it that way Do me a favor. We just take this off Can I ask you what of course yeah, it's not like I said some investigation obviously we are here for a reason So go ahead and turn around for me

So right now being detained and there is a a detective that needs to talk to you at the police department. So we'll let if your husband knows he can just come to the police department as well if he wants to wait for you there. I'm like I I get it. You have a lot of questions. So scared. Everything's OK.

We just need to talk to you at the police department. That's all. Nothing else on your pocket right now? Nothing else? Just my phone. Just your phone? Yeah. OK.

OK. All right. I'm sitting in the back of this car on the other side. Once you get to the police department, you'll talk to the detective and he'll explain everything to you. But you can't even give me like an idea of what this is about? This is an investigation that's currently going on right now and I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you more.

Is he coming with me? We'll let him know right now. The he that Christina Formella is referring to is the person in the passenger seat and he's her husband. They were married late last summer. Even on the way down to the station, Christina has no idea of what is going on. We're just going to down her 10 minutes away. No, I know, but I really would prefer that my husband's with me. Of course. Am I in trouble? Like I'm so lost right now. So So Now, police drive Christina Formella to the police station and detectives will question her there. Remember, I told you this all started when a teenage boy's mom saw text messages between her son and Formella on his phone. The state attorney said she was setting up his new iPhone when she found

these texts between him and an unknown number. The woman's son wrote in one text message, I love you so, so much, Mama. The unknown number texted back, I love you so much, baby. Even though this morning was short, it was perfect. The teen messaged back, I know, baby, it was perfect. So perfect. The unknown number then texted, I love having sex with you. The teen responded, I know, baby, I love it so much.

It feels so good. It's so passionate. It's so good. It's so passionate. It's so intimate. It's so perfect. Imagine what the mother was thinking when she reads text messages of her underage son and his teacher professing love for one another and explicitly discussing sex that they had in a campus classroom. So the mother, of course, went straight to Downers Grove police. A petition for Christina Formella's detention stated, according to the teen, he and defendant had developed feelings for each other. The teen said that one morning in December of 2023, before school,

he had met up with defendant in her classroom. The teen said that defendant had closed her door, which automatically locked, that they had started kissing, that he had grabbed her butt, and she had grabbed his private parts over the clothes, that she had removed his pants and underwear, that they had removed her leggings, and that they had engaged in sexual intercourse while standing up.

Downers Grove police picked up Formella and took her to the police department for questioning, of course. Prosecutors say Christina Formella denied having sex with the teenage boy when detectives interviewed her. And she claimed everyone comes after her because she's good looking, and she simply cared too much

about this teenage boy. When detectives confronted Formella about notes she had written in her phone, prosecutors said she claimed they were an outlet for her anxiety, which was brought on by the teenage boy. So let's take a look at the notes the state attorney said the detectives found in Christina Formello's phone.

An officer said that Formello wrote, "'I'm not upset, I'm not mad, I'm not any of that, I've just lost interest. I went back and screenshotted every single time that I said we should break up until after the wedding and after you graduated. And every single effing time you came back and convinced me it would be fine. I initiated every single breakup, only for you to end things saying you couldn't get over it.

You ruined us. I warned you we should have never started dating a long, long effing time ago and you gaslit me and convinced me it was fine every single time. Be that's who you are. We will never ever be together again. I'm not a second choice. I'm the best thing you'll ever have,

even with all of my mistakes. You once again waited and strung me along until it was convenient for you. It broke me last time. This time it changed me. I'm not sad. I'm effing mad that I let a 16 year old f-word with me last time. This time it changed me. I'm not sad. I'm effing mad that I let a 16-year-old f-word with me like that, and I made a promise to myself

that I never will let any guy f-word with me like that again. Now, police said there was a section in Formella's notes entitled Manifestations, and that it read, The teen is going to reach out to me soon and try to fix things between us. In the meantime, I'm going to live my best life knowing he's not the person I thought he was and that he is beneath me.

Police said they found another note in Formella's phone from November, 2024 that read, the teen and I will connect again soon in a positive way. We will both get the closure we need in order to move on in a healthy way. We will be able to be a part of each other's lives forever. We will be in each other's lives forever. We will be able to love each other while also living our own lives." Now while questioning Formella, the state attorney said Formella denied having sex with

the teen, but in the same breath admitted her relationship with him was wrong, but she couldn't break it off because she cared too much about him. Detectives said Christina Formella had referred to the boy as her stalker and that her husband knew about this, but when they asked her husband about him, he only knew about the boy as a soccer player. Soon the questioning would end. I'm feeling I'm gonna throw up. My bag? I'm gonna throw up. Alright. Shana, can you grab a bag on there? No. Hey, can you get like a bag just in case she gets nauseous?

Yeah. Christina Formella fears she'll throw up. She's been interviewed by police and according to the records that I just read to you, it didn't go well. As she sits in the back of the transport van, Christina is concerned fears she'll throw up. She's been interviewed by police and according to the records that I just read to you, it didn't go well. As she sits in the back of the transport vehicle, the gravity of the situation hits her. Oh my god. What the f***? Oh my god! What the f***? Okay. Okay. Thank you. Christine, you? Okay. A few paper towels on the floor here if you need it, alright?

Okay. Thank you. Christina Formella gets comfortable for the ride to the jail, and it seems to take quite a while. Eventually, she calms down and stops crying. She sits in silence, appearing to think about what's happened, contemplating what's coming next, and then a song comes on the radio. ["A Heartbreaker Song"] It just seems a little bit ironic that a song about a heartbreaker comes on the radio after everything Formella is alleged

to have written in her notes. Eventually, they arrive at the jail. Christina Formella is booked and the jail takes this mugshot. She faces one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of criminal sexual assault and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Let's take a look at the video of police approaching her just one more time. Hey, how you doing? Officer Guzman with Downers Grove. Do you have your license on you? Yes.

Tonight. Yeah, I'm going to explain. I'm sure you're confused. I'll explain everything to you. You're Christina? Yes. Okay, Christina, do me a favor. Can you step out of the car for me?

I know you're confused. I'll explain everything to you. You don't have anything on you? You can just grab whatever you need. Whatever I need? Yeah, whatever you need. Like your phone, your purse, you can go and grab it. Is she going somewhere?

Yeah, we're gonna explain everything to you guys. We're just going to Downer Grove, so 10 minutes away. No, I know, but I really would prefer that my husband's with me. Of course. So I'm sure you are. I can't answer any questions right now. I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for investigation or bringing you to the police department. And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. I'm sure you are. I can't answer any questions right now. I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for investigation or bringing you

to the police department. And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. I'm sure you are. I can't answer any questions right now. I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for investigation or bringing you to the police department. And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. I'm sure you are.

I can't answer any questions right now. I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for investigation or bringing you to the police department. And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. I'm sure you are. I can't answer any questions right now. I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for investigation or bringing you to the police department.

And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. I'm sure you are. I can't answer any questions right now. I'm sure you are. I can't answer any question right now, I'll just tell you that right now you're being detained for an investigation or a bring you to the police department. And once you get there, they're going to fill you in on everything. So So So So So So So so So The So so so so so so Okay. I'm going to try to get the So so So And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me.

I'll see you back here next time.