Former Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School counselor pleads no contest to sexual assault of a student
WISCONSIN RAPIDS − A former Lincoln High School counselor accused of having sexual contact with a student entered no contest pleas Tuesday morning to two felony charges.
Christopher Bondioli, 53, of Wisconsin Rapids, pleaded no contest to child enticement and sexual assault of a student by school staff. No contest means Bondioli is not saying he did it, but is saying he thinks there is enough evidence to convict him. As part of a plea agreement, additional charges of child enticement, sexual assault of a student by staff and conspiracy to commit obstructing an officer were dismissed but will be considered during sentencing.
According to the criminal complaint, Bondioli met with a 16-year-old girl twice during Lincoln High School's 2021 Christmas break. Bondioli had the girl come to a home belonging to a relative in Wisconsin Rapids that was empty. Bondioli inappropriately touched the girl during the visit, according to the complaint.
About a week after the first contact, Bondioli had the girl meet him in a parking lot, according to the complaint. He picked her up at the parking lot and took her to the same empty home where he inappropriately touched her again, according to the complaint.
The 16-year-old girl told a friend about what happened and later told Bondioli she had told the friend. Bondioli called the friend to his office at Lincoln High School, asked what the 16-year-old has said and told the friend he trusted her not to say anything to anyone, according to the complaint.
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Bondioli admitted to the friend that he had kissed the 16-year-old girl, but he said nothing else happened, according to the complaint. The friend said she did not let Bondioli know the 16-year-old had talked about the inappropriate touching, according to the complaint.
The 16-year-old told a detective that she had feelings for Bondioli and wanted to have a sexual relationship with him, but nothing happened, according to the complaint. When the detective showed the girl messages on a phone they had gotten from her friend, she admitted she had been at the home with Bondioli.
The 16-year-old girl said Bondioli had contacted her shortly before the Wisconsin Rapids Public School District started its investigation and told her to delete everything on her phone as well as the backups to the phone, according to the complaint. He met with the 16-year-old girl and her friend at the same relative's home and told them to "forget about it" and "act like nothing happened," according to the complaint.
The Wisconsin Rapids Public School District was made aware of the allegations against Bondioli in late January 2022. The district immediately notified Wood County Human Services, who contacted police, according to the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department.
Bondioli was placed on administrative leave effective Jan. 25, 2022, and the Wisconsin Rapids School Board accepted his resignation Feb. 14, 2022.
Portage County Circuit Judge Louis Molepske Jr., who is acting as a substitute judge in the Wood County case, ordered a presentence investigation at Defense Attorney Kevin Musolf's request. Molepske scheduled the sentencing for Aug. 20. Bondioli faces a maximum of 18 years in prison and 13 years extended supervision.
Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune: Wisconsin Rapids counselor pleads no contest to sexual assault of a student