Former 'Teacher of the Year' pleads guilty to sex crimes with 12-year-old student

SAN DIEGO (TCN) -- A 35-year-old former award-winning teacher entered a plea last week to sex crimes involving juvenile students at the school where she worked.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Jacqueline Ma pleaded guilty Wednesday, Feb. 5, to two counts of lewd acts with a child under 14 with duress and lewd acts with a child under 14. She faces 30 years to life in prison and will be sentenced in May.

Her victims were reportedly 12 and 11 years old.

On March 6, 2023, a parent contacted the National City Police Department and said they believed their 13-year-old child was "possibly having an inappropriate relationship with a former teacher." Detectives and School Resource Officers began investigating and arrested Ma the next day.

Ma worked as an elementary school teacher in the National City area and was one of five people awarded "Teacher of the Year" just months prior to the investigation. She bailed out of jail following her arrest, but National City Police took her into custody a second time after finding enough evidence to present more felony charges.

According to KUSI-TV, San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Drew Hart said at a court hearing following Ma’s second arrest that she "had a photograph of the victim in her wallet, she had jewelry with his initials, love letters were discovered in her classroom." Ma reportedly "expressed frustration at the child for not responding to the situation quicker" and even "expressed jealousy when the victim was talking to other girls."

Hart described Ma as "obsessive, possessive, controlling, and dangerous."

Ma faced 15 felony charges, including possession of child sexual abuse material and child sex abuse.

KUSI reports Ma could have been sentenced to 180 years in prison if she went to trial and was convicted on all counts.

Hart said following the plea hearing, "From our office’s perspective, it was very important that these be charged as not just sex offenses, but sex offenses done under duress and that’s what she pled to."

He went on, "This was very significant to us, not just because she won an award, but because of who she was in the community. We think this plea deal sends a message to the community, not just about sex offenses on children, but when you leverage a position of trust, when you leverage good faith with parents in the community and you do this to their children, there will be significant penalties to pay."

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