Former Delaware Teacher Convicted in Child Rape Case

State of DE - A former teacher in Delaware has been found guilty on every charge he faced in a child rape case. The Delaware Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the conviction.

Christopher Crisona, 58, was convicted on October 22, 2026. The charges include three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse First Degree and two counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree.

He was also convicted of one count of Unlawful Sexual Penetration Third Degree. The final charge was one count of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.

The case goes back more than 30 years. According to the DOJ, Crisona was teaching at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Wilmington, Delaware when he raped a child between September 1, 1994 and June 15, 1995.

Crisona was taken out of that school partway through the year after a student complained. He went on to work at other schools after that.

In 1999, he worked at St. Matthew's in Wilmington and at Corpus Christi. In 2000, he worked at St. Hedwig's.

Investigators did not first set out to look into Crisona. The case started with an anonymous report made to the Diocese of Wilmington.

That report claimed the same victim had been sexually abused by two priests. One of them was Father John Taggart. The other priest has since passed away.

While looking into those claims, investigators uncovered the abuse by Crisona.

Attorney General Kathy Jennings spoke about the case and the victim's courage.

"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."

Crisona faces at least 47 years in prison. That is the minimum sentence required by law for these convictions. A sentencing date has not been set yet.

Taggart's case is still moving through the courts. His trial is set to begin on January 11, 2027.

He is charged with four counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse First Degree and two counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration Third Degree. He also faces one count of Unlawful Sexual Contact Second Degree and one count of Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child.