Teacher Who Got Pregnant with Student's Baby Locked Up

This is a sick and twisted case. Julie. Risatelo, a [music] former English. teacher at Wall High School, groomed and. sexually assaulted two students. One was. just a freshman. And even worse, she. apparently got pregnant by one of them. and then terminated the pregnancy and. told him that this all happened when. they had unprotected sex on [music] his. birthday. So now a judge has officially. handed down her sentence and we are. going to break down exactly what. happened inside that courtroom. Welcome. [music] to Sidebar, presented by Law &.

Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. All right, quick 180 before I go into. all this. I know I always talk about. sponsors, sponsors, but when I'm. passionate about one, I got to tell you, Proof Wallet. Okay, I started hearing. all about these wallets. People are. like, "This is the best wallet I've ever. had." I'm here to tell you, the hype is. real. First of all, you know what I. love? Proof Wallet. It is a. veteran-owned company and it's built by. craftsmen who take pride in what they. make. It's clear. Look how well these. are designed. Also, super secure. Not. only are they RFID blocking, but they.

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case that we have been following for a. long time here on Law & Crime. And. today, it ends with a sentence that. reflects just how disturbing the details. truly were. A former English teacher at. Wall High School, Julie Risatelo, somebody who was entrusted with shaping. the young minds of our future, is now. headed to prison. Prosecutors described. it as textbook grooming. A sexual. relationship with a student, nude. photos, witness tampering, and then I.

got to say one of the most shocking. revelations of all, after encouraging a. teenage student to have unprotected sex. on his birthday, she told him, again, like I mentioned, she was pregnant and. then later terminated that pregnancy. When we talk about the harm that is. inflicted upon the victims in cases like. this, I think it kind of gives you an. idea, right? We'll talk more about it. But I will tell you these are details. that were really illustrated, painted. out in court, that I think lay out just. how disturbing what we're talking about. really is. And now you have a judge who has handed.

down her sentence. What was the. sentence? What was the prison time? Oh, we'll talk about that. But I want to. break it all down and I have to start. from the beginning, okay? Julie. Risatello, English teacher, Wall High. School, it's right on the Jersey Shore. She had been there since 2013, familiar. face in the hallways, again, someone. parents trusted with their kids, but. then you go to the spring of 2024. And. school officials learned of allegations. after a student discussed the. relationship with peers, with friends. The student had been talking to his. friends about something happening.

between him and the teacher. Those. rumors eventually got back to the. district's human resources department, and to their credit, they did exactly. what they were supposed to do. They. reported it immediately. They called the. police. That call triggered an. investigation, and on July 3rd, 2024, Risatello was arrested. Now, at first, according to an affidavit of probable. cause that was obtained by nj.com, prosecutors said that she had been. involved in a sexual relationship with a. student just turned 18 in 2024. They. alleged she had sex with him multiple. times between April and June of that.

year, including in his car in Brick. Township in May 14th. And investigators. also said that she sent him nude photos, and that the two had, quote, numerous. communications that were sexual in. nature. And just before her arrest, according to court documents, she. allegedly asked him to delete those. messages. You see where that witness. tampering charge comes in? Now, the day. after her arrest, Wall Township school. superintendent Tracy Handerhan sent a. letter to parents. And in it she wrote, quote, "We recognize these matters have.

an impact on the entire school. community, especially our students. I. ask that you be mindful of our students'. well-being during this difficult time. If you believe your child, or if you. know of a child that is in need of. support, please consider reviewing the. mental health resources available on our. website." And she also urged anybody. with information to contact the. authorities. Now, here is where the. story really starts to unravel. Days, days after her arrest, and after this. all hit the news, another former student.

came forward. This one was from years. earlier, back in 2017. He tells authorities that Rizzitello had. been involved with him, too, when he was. just a freshman. According to an affidavit of probable. cause, that relationship involved. intercourse at her home in Brick. Township between November 2017 and. January 2018. Pictures, text messages. apparently corroborated his statement. So, suddenly this wasn't just a, you. know, one-time lapse in judgment, as if. that would be excused. It was a pattern.

Two victims years apart, both of them. students. So, what ends up happening? Well, Rizzitello resigned from the. school. She spent some time in jail. She. was eventually released to home. monitoring as the case played out. And. then this past August, probably because. she realized this wouldn't be great at. trial considering the evidence, she. stood in court and officially pleaded. guilty to two counts of second-degree. sexual assault. She admitted to it all. And that brings us to what just happened. now. Sentencing.

What we heard in that courtroom, that. was reported by Jersey Shore Online and. the Coast Star, went far beyond what any. of us knew before. I want to start with the first victim, okay? The one from 2017. Again, as I mentioned, a freshman when. Rizzitello began grooming him. And. according to what Judge Jill O'Malley. read from that pre-sentencing report. that is prepared in anticipation of. sentencing, there's interviews, there's. evidence, there's things to consider, factors for the judge to consider when. issuing a sentence. And this is detailed.

by Jersey Shore Online and the the Coast. Star. Risatello pulls him into her classroom. one day to tell him she had a dream. about having sex with him. And this is. where it gets even more personal. On. this student's birthday in January of. 2018, Risatello encouraged him to have. unprotected sex with her at her home. And then weeks later, she called him. over, took a pregnancy test, told him. she got pregnant, and then she got an. abortion. Told him that all this was. lined up with his birthday. So, the victim submitted a written.

statement that was read aloud in court. And in it, according to the Coast Star, he wrote, quote, "I still think about. how this woman was the one person I. trusted with every detail in my life. She is actually a sexual predator. At. one point, I thought I was a special. part of her life." Again, we'll talk. about this a little bit more. Just think. about the impact something like this has. on a young man. He described dropping out of college. because he couldn't concentrate, said. how he struggles to form normal. relationships with women his own age.

"Julie found someone, me, who she grew. close to and could control. Someone who. dropped any task at any moment just for. her. A boy who had a tough life. I wish it did not happen this way. I. wish it did not happen at all.". Jersey Shore Online quotes the judge. saying, "This is the psychological. impact of a child who's a student of. yours. Not only does he have to deal. with the fact that he's groomed. throughout his entire high school years, that he was preyed upon by his teacher. who he loved and trusted, that he was.

sexually abused by this teacher, but now. he's struggling to come to terms with. the fact that this individual had an. abortion, and he wasn't comfortable with. it. This is the psychological impact, the devastation.". And then there was the second victim, identified as CJ, and he was this junior. when Rizzatello turned her attention to. him in 2024. Now, while he was 18 when apparently. this sexual contact began, the judge. made clear that the grooming started. earlier. "Quote, make no mistake about. it," the judge said. "He was not an.

adult. Her relationship with CJ was not based. on affection and love. It was based on. manipulation and control. She did not. recommit to a law-abiding life. Rather, she found another victim." And as the. judge laid out all of this, Rizzatello. was apparently, reportedly, sitting. there in court shaking her head. I don't. have to tell you that's a big no-no. According to the Coast Star, the judge. stopped mid-sentence and said, "Stop. shaking your head. These are the facts.". When it was Rizzatello's turn to speak,

she addressed the court directly. She. apologized to her family, her friends, her two children. She talked about. therapy, church attendance, personal. growth. She said, "I will never make a. mistake again. I will be right by my. children forever." Problem is, Judge. O'Malley wasn't moved. She pointed out. that in her entire statement, Rizzatello. never once mentioned the victims by. name. Is that because maybe there's a. legal issue there? I'll talk about it. Quote, "You didn't mention the names BS. or CJ. Not once did you mention the. victims. You apologized to your family, your friends, the community, and you.

didn't apologize to the victims. I. believe that her remorse is genuine, but. her remorse is misplaced. It's for. herself. It's for her family. It's for. her kids." So, after the hearing, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond. Santiago issued a statement and it. really pulled no punches. He said, quote, "These crimes were not isolated. incidents constituting moments of poor. judgment. They were textbook cases of. grooming involving a defendant who. repeatedly leveraged tactics of. isolation, manipulation, and control for. the sake of her own selfish purposes.".

He went on to say the egregious nature. of the conduct was further compounded by. the plain fact that the emotional and. psychological harm she inflicted came at. the expense of two of the very same. young minds she had been entrusted to. develop and nurture. Wall Township Police Chief Sean. O'Halloran also weighed in, commending. the victims for coming forward. He said, quote, "The strength and integrity shown. by the victims and the members of our. community who brought this matter to. light were instrumental in ensuring. justice was served. Their actions.

reflect the values of a community that. refuses to remain silent in the face of. wrongdoing." So, now the question is. what's her punishment, right? What did. Rizzitello get? Judge O'Malley, in the end, sentenced. her to 10 years in New Jersey State. Prison. And she's going to have to. register as a sex offender under Megan's. Law. We'll talk about that when she's. released. She's also going to be on. parole supervision for the rest of her. life. She is also permanently barred. from ever holding public office or. teaching again. She also cannot contact. the victims in any way. There's going to.

be protective orders put in place. And. look, her defense attorney had asked for. just 5 years, citing her lack of prior. criminal record, the impact of her. children. Now, the judge wasn't. persuaded by that. Although, I will say, for each of the charges that she pled. guilty to, there was 10 years. So, it. could have been maybe 20 years, right? Stacked them together, serving 10 years. both charges concurrently. I want to. talk about that, too. But, when it came. to mitigating evidence, it didn't really. seem the judge was persuaded, pointing. to the vulnerability of the victims, the. breach of trust, the fact that after the.

first victim, she simply found another. And that's what I want to talk about. now. Okay, time to talk about this with. Mike Korbanic, criminal defense. attorney. Hasn't been on the show in. quite some time. I don't know why. He's. probably super busy. Maybe he doesn't. like me. I don't know. Who knows? Who. knows what the reason is. But, we have. Mike. >> The super busy's right. Yeah, super [laughter] busy. Super busy. Um. Mike, I want to start just with. something that's on my head with this. I Were you surprised at the sentence? What do I mean? 10 years is a long time. It's a long time. But, when she was. uh she could have faced it was 10 years.

uh on each count that she played guilty. to to run the the sentences. concurrently, meaning at the same time. 10 years for what she did. What do you. think? I was a little surprised at that. I was a little surprised at that. And I. was a former actually. way back when when I was a prosecutor in. Hudson County, I was a I was in a sex. crimes unit. So I I was used to this. kind of thing and the very fact that. this was her first offense.

and that it sort of was a. situation where she had two different. victims, but it was all within the same. realm of what she was doing. I was very surprised that at a second. degree for. someone with no prior convictions. that that range is 5 to 10 years. And to give the maximum of 10 years, I. was very surprised seeing that the fact. that she didn't have. any prior convictions of the sexual. nature. >> the judge could have gone even more. I.

mean again, like if it was 10 years on. each charge, the judge could have even. gone any more. And the judge during the. course of the sentencing wasn't happy. with her. Didn't like that she was. shaking her head. He goes, "These are. the facts." At one point the judge says, "I don't like to be interrupted. Don't. do it. Stop shaking your head. These are. the facts." Talked about a grooming. campaign. I was thinking maybe it would. have gone above 10 years. Well, I I I would I mean it could obviously. could have been consecutive because it. was two different victims here. But the.

very fact that it was sort of out of the. same situation and the same. area in which she was working. and she had no priors, I I could see why. they would run it. concurrent rather than consecutive. And. it wasn't a violent offense as well. And even though they were young kids and. the law gets that way, they were. obviously consenting to what was. occurring. Well, The Judge O'Malley said, "This is. grooming. It is traditional grooming. that I see every week here in this.

courthouse. This is the behavior of a. standard sexual predator. You're no. different." What are your thoughts? I. mean, because again, this is not the. first case that I've covered of a. teacher, an educator, an administrator. who was accused or convicted or played. guilty to the sexual abuse of children. or students, whether they're male or. female. And this is It appears to have. the hallmarks of a characteristic. grooming campaign, even the way that she.

did it. Yeah, no. I mean, it was it's. it's a horrible offense, especially the. fact that it's someone who's a teacher. who's supervising these these children. Um but. also though, and maybe I'm just sounding. too much like a criminal defense. attorney in this matter, but it it is a. She had no prior conviction. She was. very voluntary from what I saw with you. know, given giving her plea here and not. challenging any of the allegations.

against her, although there probably. wasn't any challenge there, but usually. you would think that someone who is got. no prior conviction, especially at that. age, you would give a sentence maybe in. the middle between the 5 to 10 because. once they're off, they're going to be on. supervised release. And if they violate. again, then you had to get put them. back. So, at least you're trying to put. them on a rehabilitation sort of. situation where they're going to put. their lives forward and move correctly. Um but this was a horrible horrible kind. of crime, but that's a lot of time in.

prison for someone in this kind of. offense, I think. With no prior. conviction. >> I want to highlight There was something. there where it seemed people might look. at this and say, "Wait, wait, what's the. harm? I don't get the harm." And the. judge was clear about that. The judge. referenced the section of the. pre-sentencing investigation report. By. the way, before we get it, a PSI, how. significant is that in terms of a. sentence? How important is preparing. that pre-sentence investigative report? And what is that report?

Well, I think it's very important. I. think you're making a very good point. here is cuz a lot of times what what's. there in that report is the victim's. statement as to how they feel and how. they were. treated and what they think should be. done. And that has a lot of. effect on the judge because if someone. said like, "I know she violated the law, but I was going along with it anyway.". That would seem to give the judge a. little bit more of a reduction kind of. situation. But if the victim says, "I.

was totally forced to do what I did. This was horrible. I had no consent to. this. I didn't want to be involved in. this regardless of anything." So, I. think that has a strong. view on on the judge. And I think you're. making a good point about that cuz. that's a huge. influence. So, Judge O'Malley said there. was a paragraph of the PSI that I had to. read more than once. Um and it was about this idea and I. think what makes this an aggravating. case and different is how uh this. defendant encouraged.

uh this student to have sex with without. protection. And that she got pregnant. And then she. ended the pregnancy. And uh Judge. O'Malley said, "This is the. psychological impact of a child who's a. student of yours. Not only does he does. he have to deal with the fact that he's. groomed throughout his entire high. school years that he was preyed upon by. his teacher who he loved and trusted. But now he's struggling to come to terms. with the fact that this individual had. an abortion and wasn't comfortable with. it. This is the psychological impact,

the devastation. There is something to. that I think we have to address. You're. talking about someone so young, formidable years. This is going to have. an impact, you have to imagine, on the. rest of his life. I mean, talk to me. about Sometimes people don't recognize. what the harm is here, right? And. particularly, I I hate to say it, sometimes it depends upon who the victim. is, if they're male or female, what the. teacher looks like. There's a bias, there's a stigma, it's different. But. this is This is a big impact. There is.

tremendous harm here. Absolutely. I. mean, you you have someone who's this. young. and you're that telling them now he's. going to be a father. and he's still trying to put his life. forward and the very fact that someone. who's a teacher who he probably trusted. because she was a teacher and she had so. much influence on her and that's why. it's such a high-level crime because. you're taking advantage so much of. someone who is not yet fully mature or. aware of what's going on. This is just. horrible and it puts the I can't imagine.

what this young man's going to be going. through for the rest of his life having. this sort of incident at such a young. age and how he's ever going to be. comfortable in any future relationships. and that's probably why the judge was so. hard on the sentencing here because the. penalty was so strong because the. influence on the victims was so strong. and it's something the victims, like you. pointed out, is never going to forget. And and and by the way, the judge even.

said with respect to one victim, um. although the uh sexual episodes, the. intercourse occurred after he had turned. 18, um the judge said, "Make no mistake. about it. He was not an adult." Um. really kind of criticized the defenses'. uh narrative that this was a a. relationship based on love or affection. Quote, "Your relationship with C.J. was. not based on affection and love. It was. based on manipulation and control.". You had a victim impact statement for. this other victim that was read into the.

record by uh the assistant prosecutor. and it was interesting cuz this victim. impact statement said, "I do not think. Julie is evil, but I do believe she. needs serious mental help." Um and the. judge said, "No kid should have the. feeling of sickening anxiety and panic. attack panic attacks while just trying. to get through school because it was. indicated that this individual had to. you know was could dropping out of. college, couldn't concentrate. This had this effect on him. Struggles to form normal relationships.

And the judge said he describes how he. was falling in love. He was a child. The. the judge I mean that again the idea of. what was persuading the judge's sentence. here. Absolutely. And I mean and what. persuaded the judge too is the very fact. the way New Jersey writes that statute. with the age range of the victims here. And it points out that that the victims. in this age range still aren't fully. mature at this point in time. They're they're not really aware of what.

they're getting themselves into. And. when you have a teacher who they trust. >> [snorts]. >> and feel like this is my teacher so I'm. going to follow what my teacher says. put you in a horrible situation. And and. I think that's why the judge really. showed that this was more than just a. kind of rape for lack of a better term. physical. This was a mental thing where. you just took such advantage of your. students that they had no control over. what you were telling them and they just. thought what you said was right and it.

wasn't right cuz it has ruined their. lives. The defense had been asking for 5 years. Again, she was sentenced to 10. I wonder. if one of the reasons one of the. aggravating factors is that and I think. the judge said this is that after the. first relationship ended you had several. years go by and then she gets into the. second relationship, right? She she. abuses this other victim. And the judge. said she did not recommit to a. law-abiding life rather she found. another victim. You think that's one of. the aggravating factors? I can't let you.

out earlier than five you know earlier. than 10 years. You might reoffend. Well, I think that's a very big. aggravating factor. Uh and also too is you know, when you're. using these factors in sentencing, you. don't need to prove it beyond a. reasonable doubt for the judge. And I'm. sure the judge had some feeling as like, are these the only two people who. reported what she was doing or was she. doing this to others? And I think that's something that would. have a big influence on it. And the very. fact that you went from one incident.

where you made the mistake and committed. a crime and then you went and committed. another crime. It shows you really. weren't making a mistake, it's you had. an intention to take advantage of the. people you were responsible for. And I. think that's what really influenced the. judge. I thought it was interesting she. made a statement herself. She goes, "I. will never make a mistake again. I will. be right by my children forever." And. the judge, you know, acknowledged what. she said, but she goes, "You didn't. mention once the names BS or CJ. Not. once did you mention the victims. I.

believe that her remorse is genuine, but. her remorse is misplaced. It's for. herself. It's for her family. It's for. her kids." I've seen that so many times. in sentencing, you know, where. and it's interesting cuz I don't know. what the legal rule is here. Maybe you. can clarify for me. If you have a defendant who's being. sentenced and and goes out on the record. and goes, "I'm so sorry for what I did. to them. I'm so sorry for the harm that. I caused them. I was wrong.". But does that affect her appeal if she. makes an admission like that during. sentencing? So, I do wonder whether or.

not you're kind of in a in a tough. place. A judge will say, "You didn't. once acknowledge what you did." But on. the other hand, if she has an appeal and. a right to an appeal, if she makes an. admission about what she did, won't that. affect her chances of appeal? I don't. know, you tell me. Well, it it it could. It could affect. her chances of appeal, but still though, if the appeal's based on a legal kind of. >> [snorts]. >> misapplication, then the admission really has nothing to.

do with it because it's the point where. you got to where you had to make the. admission. You know what I'm saying? So so in other. words, you're saying an appeal that's. made like there was a problem in jury. selection or there was a piece of. evidence that was allowed in that. shouldn't have been allowed in or there. was a judge's ruling that biased the. jury. You're you're saying like you can. still make a successful appeal on those. legal grounds. There was a mistake that. the trial court made. It doesn't matter. what she said in sentencing and. admitted. That's not the issue. Correct. Correct cuz you've got to go. one step at a time. That's Right.

Um I want to ask you about this. So in. when she gets out, she has to By the. way, I don't know in New Jersey is there. early release? Well, yeah. I mean she's not going to do. all all every day of 10 years. Yeah, she. gets 17 days of jail credit, but I. didn't know if she gets like early. release if she has to serve like 85% or. anything like that. >> [snorts]. >> It's usually about a third. 85% is. usually in the federal system. You hear. that more. But there's so many different factors.

once you get in prison of, you know, how. you go forward if, you know, you're. taking classes, if you're showing that. you're making improvement, you could get. more credits than than than someone else. and as long as you have no violations. while you're in there. By the way, she has to serve uh her time. in a regular state prison facility, not. the adult diagnostic and treatment. center. What does that mean for her? What is that life like? Well, it's that. I I I'm a little surprised at that. especially for someone with no prior.

convictions because I would think you. would rather have someone who is got to. do time be in the situation where they. could be in a program that's more. helpful to putting their life on track. rather than sitting in a prison where. you're just getting a penalty and you're. sitting in the prison. um where you're just going in and out of. your cell and I think that's a little. bit. I'm not really clear on why the judge. would do that. >> Well, what what what can you just can. you emphasize what that is, the adult. diagnostic and treatment center, if you. know?

Yeah, it's basically where you're. getting. mental health treatment and you're in a. place where you're working with. people who are helping you with your. mental health problem, so you do not. recommit another crime with sexual. abuse. And I I just was very surprised. that the judge would take a stance on. that and not just let it go to the. prison system and see what they think is. best for that person, cuz they still. have that same.

sentencing, so I don't see what the. difference is of where they spend it if. they could be spending in a place that. helps improve their life for when they. get out, cuz she's not spending the rest. of her life in prison. Yeah, when she gets out, she has to. register under Megan's Law and be. subject to parole supervision for life. Can you tell us what that is, Megan's. Law? That's basically saying that you're a. sexual offender and anytime you apply. for a job or anything, everybody will. see that you have a sexual offense that. you've committed prior to it and it will.

affect your life going forward and it. could keep you out of certain places. that won't allow people who have. committed who have committed sexual. offenses. And she also has to have um. restraining orders uh put in place. prohibiting any contact with either of. the victims in this case. Um if she. violates any of that, what happens? That's a violation of uh her parole and. she could be imprisoned once again. And. the violations of those are not proof. beyond a reasonable doubt, it's just a. preponderance of the evidence.

Lower standard. Lower standard. >> Much lower standard. Uh Mykur Banik, thank you so much for taking the time. I. really appreciate it. Thank you. It's. always great being on with you. And. that's all we have for you right now. here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so. much for joining us and as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple. Podcast, Spotify, wherever you get your. podcast. You can also check us out on. NBC's [music] Peacock. We got Sidebar. episodes up there, too. If you want to. follow me, X, Instagram, my NewsNation. show, Jesse Weber Live, Monday through. Friday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern. I'll see you. next time.