DOJ secures conviction on all charges in child rape case involving former teacher

The Delaware Department of Justice has announced that a former Wilmington teacher has been convicted on all charges in a child rape case.

On October 22, 2026, Christopher Crisona, 58, was convicted of three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse First Degree, two counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree, Unlawful Sexual Penetration Third Degree, and Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.

"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," said Attorney General Kathy Jennings. "I cannot imagine the suffering this victim endured, nor the bravery it took to come forward. I am profoundly grateful to the police, prosecutors, and social workers in this case, all of whom have been crucial for securing justice."

An investigation by the DOJ found that Crisona, who was working as a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Wilmington at the time, raped a child during a period spanning from September 1, 1994 to June 15, 1995. He was removed mid-year following a student complaint, later working at St. Matthew's in Wilmington (1999), Corpus Christi (1999), and St. Hedwig's (2000).

Crisona's abuse was discovered during the course of an investigation that began with an anonymous report to the Diocese of Wilmington concerning alleged sexual abuse of the same victim by Father John Taggart and Father John Francis O'Brien (now deceased). Crisona faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 47 years in prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

John Taggart is scheduled for trial on January 11, 2027, and faces charges of Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree, Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, two counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration Third Degree, and four counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse First Degree.