A former Wilmington schoolteacher was convicted on October 22, 2026, of multiple child rape charges stemming from offenses committed more than three decades ago.
Teacher Found Guilty of Multiple Abuse Charges
Following a legal trial, 58-year-old Christopher Crisona was convicted on one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, one count of unlawful sexual penetration, and two counts of unlawful sexual contact. According to prosecutors, the abuse occurred between September 1, 1994, and June 15, 1995, while Crisona worked as a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Wilmington.
School officials removed Crisona mid-year following a student complaint. Despite that removal, he subsequently worked at several other Delaware Catholic schools, including St. Matthew’s in Wilmington in 1999, Corpus Christi in 1999, and St. Hedwig’s in 2000, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.
Crisona eventually relocated to Florida and continued working as an educator. Files from Orange County Public Schools show that he was employed within the district for approximately 16 years, holding positions at facilities such as Columbia Elementary, Sadler Elementary, Fern Creek Elementary, Stone Lakes Elementary, Avalon Middle School, Wedgefield K-8, and Andover Elementary School. Authorities arrested him on March 10, 2025, while he was working at Andover Elementary School in Orlando.
Anonymous Report Sparks Decades-Old Investigation
The investigation that ultimately unraveled Crisona’s decades-old crimes began with an anonymous report submitted to the Diocese of Wilmington in June 2022. That initial complaint alleged that the same victim had suffered sexual abuse by Catholic priests Father John Taggart and Father John Francis O’Brien, who has since died. Investigators subsequently uncovered evidence implicating Crisona.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings addressed the gravity of the case in a public statement.
Sexual abuse of any kind is unconscionable; for it to come at the hands of individuals in positions of power and sacred trust is a horror unto its own. I cannot imagine the suffering this victim endured, nor the bravery it took to come forward.
While Crisona awaits sentencing, where he faces a mandatory minimum of 47 years in prison, John Taggart faces separate proceedings. Taggart is scheduled to stand trial on January 11, 2027. His current charges include continuous sexual abuse of a child, four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse first degree, two counts of unlawful sexual penetration third degree, and one count of unlawful sexual contact second degree. In January 2026, Delaware Superior Court Judge Calvin Scott partially granted a defense motion dismissing two counts of dangerous crime against a child while allowing the remaining charges to proceed against Taggart.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
