Jessica Bergmann, Aurora Middle School Teacher in Illinois, Charged with Having Sexual Relationship with Minor Boy She Met While Coaching Soccer

An Illinois middle school teacher and soccer coach has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse after allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a former student she first met while coaching.

Jessica Bergmann, 34, a math teacher at Washington Middle School in Aurora, Illinois, was taken into custody on November 7 following a police investigation prompted by a tip from a concerned neighbor. According to prosecutors, the tipster reported seeing a teenage boy frequently visiting Bergmann’s home late at night and sometimes staying overnight.

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said investigators determined the boy, now 17, had been involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with Bergmann. The two reportedly began communicating through text messages and phone calls when the student was in high school, and “at some point in time, the relationship turned sexual,” prosecutors said.

Authorities confirmed that Bergmann first met the victim years earlier while he attended Washington Middle School and played on her soccer team. Court documents allege that their inappropriate relationship continued after the boy moved on to high school and that sexual encounters took place at Bergmann’s residence.

Jessica Bergmann, Aurora Middle School Teacher in Illinois, Charged with Having Sexual Relationship with Minor Boy She Met While Coaching Soccer

Bergmann now faces one count of criminal sexual assault in a position of authority and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, also in a position of authority. Each charge reflects the trust and power dynamic between the teacher and her student.

“The profound abuse of trust and authority allegedly displayed by Ms. Bergmann is extremely disturbing and will be met with the full force of the law,” said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin. “Teachers are entrusted with our students’ well-being. They are given the responsibility to guide and protect our students, not to harm or exploit them.”

Berlin added that the allegations represent not just a criminal act but also a betrayal of the trust placed in educators by families and the community.

Despite prosecutors’ request to keep Bergmann in custody, a judge ordered her release under strict conditions, including no contact with the victim or any individual under 18 years old.

The 17-year-old victim has since graduated from Washington Middle School, officials said. Bergmann is scheduled to appear in court on December 1, where she will face formal proceedings related to the charges.

The case has drawn widespread outrage in the Aurora community, with parents expressing shock and disappointment over the allegations against a teacher once trusted to mentor and safeguard local students.