kabarsula Former Catholic school teacher Christopher Crisona awaits sentencing on sex assault conviction; ex-priest John Taggart set for trial bandar SLOT INDONESIA

 

An elementary school teacher at the former St. Thomas the Apostle school in Wilmington was convicted of all charges in a child rape case from the mid-1990s, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.

Christopher Crisona, 58, was convicted Oct. 22 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. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 47 years in prison at sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled.

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 then-Father John Taggart.

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 Sept. 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).

“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,” Attorney General Kathy Jennings said in a statement. “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.”

Taggart, 82, the former priest in Wilmington, is scheduled for trial Jan. 11, 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.

The Diocese of Wilmington issued a statement after the March 2025 arrest of the two men.

“In keeping with policy, the Diocese of Wilmington has been and will continue to cooperate with the Delaware Attorney General’s Office,” the statement read.

“Anyone who has experienced any form of abuse by clergy or any lay person working or volunteering in Catholic parishes or schools in Delaware or Maryland’s Eastern Shore are urged to contact the Delaware Department of Justice at (302) 577-5293 or [email protected] or contact the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office for their county, to provide information to prosecutors and investigators.”

Taggart was a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle from 1987 to 1998. In January 1999 he was assigned to St. John the Apostle in Milford, and in January 2001 was sent to St. Helena’s in Wilmington. Taggart resigned from active ministry in 2004 and was living in Georgia before his arrest. He is currently free on bail.