Wisconsin Teacher Who Allegedly Loved ‘Making Out’ With 11-Year-Old Student Faces Judge
A Wisconsin teacher accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old student will stand trial after her attempt to dismiss charges was denied. š #News #HudsonWI #Wisconsin #Crime
HUDSON, WI – A former Wisconsin elementary school teacher, accused of sexually assaulting her 11-year-old student, has lost her bid to dismiss charges as a judge ruled Thursday that she must face trial.
Madison Bergmann, 24, who taught at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, appeared in court flanked by her father, visibly emotional as her legal team attempted to argue that text messages between her and the student did not meet the legal criteria for sexual assault. However, the judge disagreed, pointing to the context of the exchanges. Hudson, Wisconsin is just across the river from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Defense Claims Messages Lack Specifics
Bergmann’s defense team sought to have the charges thrown out, arguing that the 11-year-old boy’s text messages failed to explicitly describe “intimate” contact as defined by Wisconsin law. Bergmann’s texts allegedly say she desire to “lick” the boy’s abs and that she loved fondling his chest.
According to her lawyer, Joseph Tamburino, the term “chest,” used in the text messages, does not qualify as an intimate body part under state statutes. Tamburino argued that the state law requires the touching of specific intimate areas like the groin or breasts for an action to qualify as sexual assault.
Despite this defense, the judge ruled that the content of the texts and the context were enough to proceed with the charges. The judge remarked that it would be unreasonable to expect a young child to use the precise language of legal statutes when describing his interactions with the teacher.
The judge read some of Bergmann’s texts out loud.
Bergmann: āI love having my hand on your chest. I could feel your heart beating so much hahaā
The boy: āhaha it was beating so fast. I was so surprised and I loved it because you just kept kissing me.ā
Extensive Charges and Evidence
Bergmann, who initially faced a single count of first-degree child sexual assault, is now dealing with a total of 10 felony charges.
These include additional accusations of child enticement, sexual misconduct by a school employee, and using electronic devices to facilitate a child sex crime. If convicted on all counts, she faces a potential sentence of 178 years in prison.
The allegations first came to light when the boy’s mother overheard a phone conversation between her son and Bergmann, prompting the family to search the boy’s phone. They reportedly found text messages that detailed interactions in Bergmann’s classroom, including “making out” and inappropriate physical contact.
Authorities later searched Bergmann’s classroom and reportedly discovered a folder with handwritten notes referring to their encounters.
Bergmann has pleaded not guilty, and her attorney has yet to make any further public comments.
Reminder: All parties are considered innocent before proven guilty. Mugshot photo of Madison Bergmann courtesy St. Croix Police Department.
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