Aurora Police Department & DuPage County State's Attorney's Office Joint News Release
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Aurora Chief of Police Keith Cross announced today that a former choir teacher at Metea Valley High School has been charged with having inappropriate sexual contact with a former student. Nathan Bramstedt, 42 (d.o.b. 10/27/1979) of the 600 block of Pimlico Street, Oswego, appeared in Bond Court this morning where Judge Susan Alvarado set his bond at $500,000 with 10% to apply.
It is alleged that beginning in February 2019, through June 2019, Bramstedt sexually assaulted his victim, who was seventeen years old at the time, on multiple occasions at multiple locations within the school. The alleged abuse came to light when the victim reported it to authorities last year. The Aurora Police Department and the DuPage County Children’s Center opened an investigation into the matter.
“Teachers are role models who students look up to and in whom parents place a great amount of trust,” Berlin said. “It is alleged that Mr. Bramstedt used his position of trust and authority to seduce his victim into giving him what he wanted. If the allegations against Mr. Bramstedt are true, he violated that trust in the worst possible way. I thank officials at Metea Valley High School for their complete cooperation throughout this investigation and I commend the Aurora Police Department, notably, Detective Laura Kolanowski, for their outstanding work on this very disturbing case. I also thank the DuPage County Children’s Center, particularly Investigator Boris Vrbos and as well as Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Fisher for his work on this case and their ongoing efforts in protecting our children from sexual predators.”
“I want to commend the victim in this case for being brave and coming forward to report these horrible acts of sexual assault and allowing us to investigate this case to bring justice to her and her family,” Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross said. “I want to thank Aurora Police Detective Kolanowski, the DuPage County Children’s Center, and the DuPage State’s Attorney’s Office for their tireless work on this case.”
Bramstedt was taken into custody without incident Friday afternoon. He has been charged with nine counts of Criminal Sexual Assault – Position of Trust/Authority (Class 1 Felony) and three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse – Position of Trust/Authority (Class 2 Felony). If found guilty of all counts, sentencing guidelines dictate that imposed sentences on the Class 1 Felonies must run consecutively, thus exposing Bramstedt to a minimum of thirty-six years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 2, 2022 for arraignment in front of Judge Daniel Guerin.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.