Naperville woman charged with sexually assaulting students

A Naperville woman has been charged with sexually assaulting four former students of a Chicago Christian school where her father is the leader of the school and pastor of the church, according to prosecutors.

Eliza Martinelli, 34, of the 1500 block of South Raymond Drive in Naperville is accused of sexually assaulting three girls and one boy over a 10-year period from April 1998 to July 2007, said Andy Conklin, spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said the victims were all either students at Dayspring Christian Academy, 5133 W. Fullerton Ave., or attended the church while Martinelli taught there.

She is accused of first sexually assaulting a girl who was 15 at time over a period of about a year. Martinelli then began abusing a girl when she was 14 and 15, Conklin said. A third 15-year-old girl was assaulted for a period of at least a year as the abuse continued until she was 17, Conklin said.

Martinelli is also accused of assaulting a boy when he was 15 and 16.

Prosecutors said Martinelli supplied the victims with alcohol and performed sexual acts on them in a number of locations, including one of the victim’s houses in Chicago, in her own home and in her car.

Martinelli’s brother, Nelson Quintana Jr., 27, of Chicago, who also worked at the school, faces one charge of misdemeanor criminal sexual abuse, authorities said.

Eliza Martinelli was arrested on Monday and appeared in bond court Tuesday, where a judge set bail at $1.5 million on four counts of criminal sexual assault, Conklin said.

Martinelli’s next court date is June 27.