Father John Taggart and Christopher Crisona are accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a student in Delaware in the 1990s. Now investigators are working to see if there are other victims out there. NBC10’s Tim Furlong has the story.
Law enforcement officials in Delaware have charged two men -- a retired priest and an elementary school teacher -- following an investigation into allegations of child sex abuse that stem back to the nineties.
According to law enforcement officials, John Taggart, 80, a former priest, and Christopher Crisona, 57, have been charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, unlawful sexual intercourse and related charges following an investigation into their alleged activities from 1994 through 1996 when they both worked at St. Thomas the Apostle School and rectory.
Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
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WATCH HEREThe allegations against this pair were uncovered, law enforcement officials said, after an investigation began into Taggart and the now-deceased Father John Francis O'Brien, concerning their time working at St. Thomas the Apostle.
This investigation, officials claim, found that Taggart, allegedly, repeatedly abused a victim through the child's seventh and eighth grade years enrolled at the church's school.
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SIGN UP The abuse, officials allege, even continued after the child began high school.
Taggart worked at the church from 1987 through 1998 and, in January of 1999, officials said, he was transferred to St. John the Apostle church in Milford, Delaware.
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Taggart also worked at St. Helena's in Wilmington, Delaware, though, officials said he now lives in Georgia after retiring in 2004.
This same investigation found allegations of abuse of the same victim by Crisona, when he was a teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle School.
Crisona worked at the schools in the 1994-1995 school year and was removed from the school the following year after a student complaint, officials said.
After leaving the school, Crisona worked at St. Matthew's in Wilmington in 1999, then Corpus Christi, also in 1999 and, officials said, he also worked at St. Hedwig's in 2000.
He is currently employed as an elementary school teacher in Florida, according to police officials.
“The State’s indictment alleges a pattern of gravely serious abuse against a juvenile by two adults in a position of trust,” said Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings in a statement. “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.”
In a statement to NBC10, the Diocese of Wilmington, Del., noted that Taggart was arrested on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Crisona, diocese officials said, was apprehended at his home in Orlando, Florida, on March 3, 2025.
Officials with the diocese said they have been and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials.
Officials said that, due to the nature of the allegations and both men's professional histories, the Delaware Department of Justice is seeking other potential victims.
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