A former Wilmington teacher faces a minimum of 47 years behind bars after a jury convicted him on all charges in a child rape case tied to a Catholic school three decades ago. Christopher Crisona, 58, was found guilty Oct. 22 of three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, two counts of unlawful sexual contact, one count of unlawful sexual penetration and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Crisona was working as a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Wilmington during the 1994-1995 school year when he raped a child multiple times between Sept. 1, 1994, and June 15, 1995. The Delaware Department of Justice says he was removed from the school mid-year following a student complaint. A Delaware Department of Justice investigation confirmed Crisona sexually abused the victim while teaching at the school during that window, as reported by 6abc Philadelphia.
Trial testimony in the case began Oct. 19, according to BishopAccountability.org, which reported that prosecutors acknowledged the alleged crimes occurred three decades ago, leaving no DNA or other physical evidence to present to jurors. Despite that gap, the jury returned guilty verdicts on every count. 6abc Philadelphia reports that a sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
Anonymous Complaint Triggered a Yearslong Investigation
The case began when the Diocese of Wilmington received an anonymous complaint and reported it to law enforcement, according to a statement from The Dialog. That complaint set off what NBC10 Philadelphia describes as a yearslong investigation, one that ultimately reached beyond Crisona to implicate two clergy members connected to the same victim.
After leaving St. Thomas the Apostle, Crisona went on to work at other schools within the diocese, including St. Matthew’s and Corpus Christi in Wilmington in 1999 and St. Hedwig’s in 2000, per WDEL. The same outlet reports that the victim also alleged sexual abuse by former priest John Taggart and the late Father John Francis O’Brien, who is deceased.
Second Defendant Awaits January Trial
Taggart is accused of repeatedly sexually abusing the same victim during the victim’s seventh- and eighth-grade years at St. Thomas the Apostle School, and allegedly continued the abuse after the victim began high school, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Taggart worked at the church from 1987 through 1998 before being transferred to St. John the Apostle Church in Milford, Delaware, in January 1999, the station reports. He faces multiple charges connected with the case, and BishopAccountability.org reports his trial is scheduled for January 2027, with the station specifying a Jan. 11 start date.
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings addressed the gravity of the case, saying sexual abuse by people in positions of power and sacred trust is horrific, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Jennings also said she could not imagine the victim’s suffering or the bravery required to come forward, the station reported. The Delaware Department of Justice separately announced it had secured the conviction on all charges, according to State of Delaware News.
Crisona now awaits a sentencing hearing that has not yet been scheduled, leaving the case open even as Taggart’s prosecution moves toward trial early next year. Anyone affected by sexual abuse can reach the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673, per NBC10 Philadelphia.
