A former Montgomery County elementary school teacher pleaded guilty today to Sexual Child Abuse and of Sexual Abuse of a Minor afrer his original 2017 conviction was overturned in 2023.
Today in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, before the Honorable Theresa Chernosky, defendant, John Vigna, 57, of Silver Spring, a former Montgomery County Public Schools teacher, pleaded guilty to one count of Sexual Child Abuse and three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor for crimes he committed against multiple students at Cloverly Elementary School between 2001 and 2016.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2024. The State will request a 30-year suspended prison sentence with probation supervised by the COMET Unit (Collaborative Offender Management/Enforced Treatment) of the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation with conditions including no unsupervised contact with minors. As a result of the conviction, Vigna will be required to register as a sex offender for the duration of his lifetime.
The defendant’s admission of guilt was paramount to the State and the multiple victims in this case. This resolution also prevents further trauma to the victims who courageously participated in one trial and were retraumatized by the criminal justice system when the original conviction was overturned. The victims are in support of the plea agreement. The defendant served over six years in prison to date and will face an additional 23-years if he were to violate probation.
“This is an appropriate resolution given all of the challenges that would arise should the case go to trial. The State received unfavorable rulings in pre-trial motions hearings that would have required some of the victims’ cases to be tried separately. The passage of time itself presents additional hurdles to overcome. The defendant’s admission of guilt following nearly a decade of denial is vindication for the victims and the community,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy.