Teacher Challenges Charges in Court, Claims Texts Do Not Support Sexual Assault Allegations
Madison Bergmann, a 24-year-old elementary school teacher, has been arrested following accusations of engaging in inappropriate conduct with an 11-year-old student. The arrest, which occurred in April, stems from a report made by the student’s parents to River Crest Elementary School and local law enforcement.
On Thursday, September 12, Bergmann appeared in court requesting that the charges against her be dismissed. Her defense argues that the text messages between her and the student do not provide sufficient evidence of sexual contact. Bergmann claims that the references to touching the student’s ‘chest’ and ‘abs’ do not meet the criteria for sexual assault under Wisconsin statutes.
During the court hearing, intimate text messages were presented, including one where Bergmann allegedly expressed a desire to ‘lick’ the student’s abs and another where she mentioned enjoying touching his chest. The student’s messages reportedly included, ‘You were touching my chest a lot.’
Bergmann’s attorney, Joseph Tamburino, contends that Wisconsin law specifically defines sexual contact as involving intimate parts such as the breasts, buttocks, or genitalia, and does not include ‘chest’ as an intimate area. He argued that the statute’s language does not encompass the terms used in the text messages.
The judge ruled that the legal definitions of sexual contact are clear and do not exclude the charges based on the terminology used in the texts. The judge emphasized that requiring a child to use exact legal terms to describe their experience is unreasonable.
Further investigation revealed additional messages where Bergmann allegedly wrote, ‘I love having my hand on your chest. I could feel your heart beating so much hahaha.’ Another message reportedly stated, ‘I wanted to just grab your face and push you to the floor and make out with you.’
The case was brought to light when the boy’s mother overheard a phone call between Bergmann and her son, which led to a deeper investigation. The boy’s father later discovered explicit messages on the student’s phone, prompting Bergmann’s arrest.
Bergmann now faces multiple charges, including using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and several counts of sexual misconduct by school staff, in addition to the initial charge of first-degree sexual assault.
Her engagement to Sam Hickman was canceled due to the allegations, with Hickman reportedly deeply affected by the situation.
Bergmann has pleaded guilty to all charges and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 7, where she could face up to 178 years in prison if convicted.