Priest, teacher charged with sexual abuse at Wilmington school 30 years later: officials

WILMINGTON, DE - A priest and a teacher have been arrested and charged with sexual abuse at Saint Thomas the Apostle School and Rectory in Wilmington.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking other potential victims due to the nature of the allegations and the two men's professions.

What we know:

John Taggart, 80, and Christopher Crisona, 57, are facing several felony charges following an investigation into allegations of abuse at St. Thomas the Apostle School and rectory, as well as other locations. 

The two have been arrested and charged on multiple charges of sexual abuse occurring between 1994 and 1996, Delaware Department of Justice officials say. 

Taggart is charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, two counts of Dangerous Crime Against a Child, two counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration 3rd Degree, four counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse 1st Degree, and Unlawful Sexual Contact 2nd Degree.  

Crisona is charged with Unlawful Sexual Contact 2nd Degree, three counts of Unlawful Sexual Intercourse 1st Degree, Unlawful Sexual Penetration 3rd Degree, Unlawful Sexual Contact 2nd Degree, and Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child. 

Dig deeper:

Officials say Taggart was identified after an anonymous report was submitted to the Diocese of Wilmington regarding alleged sexual abuse by Father John Taggart and Father John Francis O’Brien (now deceased). 

The Wilmington Police Department held an investigation and found evidence that Taggart repeatedly abused a victim during their 7th and 8th grade years at St. Thomas, and continued after the victim left St. Thomas and began high school. 

Taggart was a priest at St. Thomas the Apostle from 1987 to 1998. 

In January 1999, officials say he was sent 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 currently resides in Georgia. 

Upon further investigation, investigators discovered allegations of abuse of the same victim by Christopher Crisona, a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School. 

Officials say Crisona worked as a teacher at St. Thomas for the 1994-1995 school year and part of the 1995-1996 school year. 

He was removed in the middle of the year due to a student complaint. 

He then worked at St. Matthew’s in Wilmington in 1999, Corpus Christi in 1999, and St. Hedwig’s in 2000. 

Officials say Crisona currently works as an elementary school teacher in Florida.  

What they're saying:

"The State’s indictment alleges a pattern of gravely serious abuse against a juvenile by two adults in a position of trust," said AG Jennings. "As prosecutors, and as parents, these kinds of cases keep us up at night — but they also give us purpose. The victim in this case suffered profound trauma over a period of years and deserves justice. I’m grateful to the police, prosecutors, and social workers who have been critical to this investigation and who are committed to getting justice." 

What's next:

The DOJ says it is seeking other potential victims due to the nature of the allegations and the defendants’ professional history. 

Anyone with information may contact (302) 577-5293 or ReportAbuse@delaware.gov to provide information to prosecutors and investigators. 

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, you can contact the National Rape Crisis Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673) or, locally, contact the YWCA Sexual Assault Resource Center at 1-800-773-8570.