Teacher facing prison after '33,000' texts sent to boy, 11, before mum found out

Madison Bergmann, 24, is facing multiple charges after a school employee testified in court that the student and his teacher had started exchanging messages earlier this year

A 24-year-old teacher is facing time in prison after sending tens of thousands of messages to a boy in her class, aged just 11, some of which are alleged to be sexual in nature. The torrent of messages, notes in class, and accused physical contact was only brought to an end when the child's mother overheard them talking on the phone.

The US teacher is now facing multiple serious criminal charges after allegedly sending 33,000 explicit texts to the 11-year-old student. Madison Bergmann, 24, faced a former school colleague in a Wisconsin court, who alleged the exploitative conduct began earlier this year, when the pair began messaging each other.

The boy's mother discovered the inappropriate messages when she confiscated her son's phone after catching him on a call with Bergmann. The boy later revealed that he obtained his teacher's number during a skiing trip with Bergmann and his mother at a ski centre during the winter break.

Bergmann confirmed this, stating she had the boy's number in case they were separated at the park. School resource officer Traci Hall reported that there were a total of 33,000 messages from Bergmann, including several instances where the disgraced teacher told the boy she was aroused in the classroom and how their relationship became increasingly sexual over the year.

The alleged conversations also appeared to detail several encounters that occurred during school hours, according to CBS affiliate WCCO, reports the Mirror US.

Staff who glimpsed the controversial texts prior to the dramatic court showdown revealed how Bergmann had gushed about wearing more frocks because she "liked how he touched her leg." The alleged grooming took place while Bergmann was just about to celebrate her own wedding day, it is reported.

But Bergmann's world came crashing down in May when police arrested her after accusations were made that she had been "making out" with the 11-year-old. In a bombshell discovery shortly after she was taken into custody, police unearthed a folder in Bergmann's backpack emblazoned with the victims' name and detailed notes on their clandestine encounters.

Official records later divulged that these sordid trysts mostly took place during lunch breaks or in the eerie quiet of post-school hours, with the folder largely filled with love notes by hand. The student later confided to police that he and Bergmann would exchange notes all day long.

In a shocking twist, one piece of correspondence from Bergmann read: "One of my cousins is in the 5th grade and I can't imagine a man talking to her how we talk," also confessing, "I know we have a special relationship and I do love you more than anyone in the world but I have to be the adult here and stop."

After the woman's arrest, the principal of the school issued a statement.

"We are shocked and disturbed by this news. Our greatest concern is for the River Crest School community and the children impacted," Principal Kimberly Osterhues wrote in a message to parents. Documents show that Bergmann has been placed on administrative leave and is forbidden from showing up on school property or at school events.

"Learning about a school staff member and alleged inappropriate conduct that breaches trust is deeply troubling for all of us,” the Hudson School district said in a statement the same day as the arrest. Bergmann has been charged with first-degree child sex assault, child enticement and multiple counts of sexual misconduct by a school staff member, according to the New York Post.

The woman's attorney Joseph Tamburino, has since told The Sun that he believes that his client is being overcharged. "There is never any language where she says, ‘I want to have sex with you or that he says ‘I want you to do this with me.'" He adds: "They talk a lot about kissing, and lips, and cheeks, and touching legs. They also talk about some sexual issues, obviously, about a woman’s body and a man’s body."

"But nothing like, ‘this is what I want you to do to me,’ or ‘this is what I will do to you,'" he adds. However, the statement fell on deaf ears as the presiding judge stated that they believed there was enough to go to trial. "It’s clear to me that the state has met its burden to find probable cause that the defendant has committed a felony," they said. "Clearly, there was probable cause presented by the detective today. The case is bound to go for trial."