
A teacher in Wisconsin, accused of engaging in sexual activities with her 11-year-old student, sent him more than 33,000 explicit text messages. The preliminary hearing of the case happened at St. Croix County Circuit Court where some of the texts were read out. The 23-year-old teacher hung her head in shame as the open court heard the messages.
Attorneys on both sides argued whether the evidence supported the 10 felony charges against Madison Bergmann. The Wisconsin teacher has been charged with first-degree child sex assault, child enticement and multiple counts of sexual misconduct by a school staff member.
School resource officer Traci Hall came to the stands where she told the court about the racy texts that Bergmann and the victim exchanged in the early part of this year.
Hall said that there were "approximately 33,000" texts.
She added that their relationship became more sexual and explicit over time.
Prosecutor Karl Anderson read the messages that made things extremely uncomfortable for Bergmann.
"There’s a conversation about the victim being hard, and if she felt that during their hug," he said. "Did she acknowledge that she felt it?"
“Yes,” Hall responded.
Detailing the conversations, Hall recalled Bergmann saying that "she would wear dresses more often because she liked how he touched her leg."
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"Does Ms. Bergmann ever allude to being sexually aroused in the text messages?" Anderson asked, to which Hall said, "She talks about being w*t in the classroom."
However, Bergmann's attorneys argued that the text messages alone don't support five charges of sexual misconduct.
"There is never any language where she says ‘I want to have sex with you'," argued attorney Joseph Tamburino, "or that he says ‘I want you to do this with me'."
“They talk a lot about kissing, and lips, and cheeks, and touching legs,” Tamburino stated, but "nothing like ‘this is what I want you to do to me,’ or ‘this is what I will do to you.'"
However, the judge brushed aside the argument and said the text messages were admissible evidence of sexual misconduct.
"It’s clear to me that the state has met its burden to find probable cause that the defendant has committed a felony," the judge ruled. "Clearly, there was probable cause presented by the detective today. The case is bound to go for trial."
The scandalous matter made headlines in May when Bergmann was accused of "making out" with the student, who is in fifth standard, weeks before her wedding. Bergmann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The student’s mother learned of the inappropriate conduct when she overheard her son talking to Bergmann on the phone, according to the criminal complaint, as reported by the New York Post. The parents checked his phone and reportedly found racy and explicit texts between the pair.
The two reportedly got physical on multiple occasions inside the Hudson, Wisconsin, classroom during lunch or after school.