A former elementary school teacher in California pleaded guilty Wednesday to having sex with a minor in a case involving the grooming of two young boys.
According to the San Diego County District Attorneys Office, 35-year-old Jacqueline Ma admitted to four sexual misconduct charges that included sex with a minor and possession of obscene materials involving a child, NBC San Diego reported.
In 2022, she was named among San Diego County’s “Teachers of the Year,” and she previously worked at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, according to CBS 8.
The outlet said she was accused of starting a sexual relationship with one of the boys when he was 12.
During a hearing in 2023, Ma appeared to be emotional as she sat in the courtroom:
Her sentencing is scheduled for May 9, and she may face 30 years to life behind bars. It was a “substantially shorter sentence than the 165 years to life she could have spent in state prison if convicted of all 19 felony charges. The change of plea on Wednesday also avoided a trial,” the NBC article read.
An image shows the former teacher who is accused of grooming the boys by buying them gifts:
Former California 'Teacher of the Year' Jacqueline Ma sobbed in court as she pleaded guilty to having sexual relationships with two students, aged 11 and 12.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 7, 2025
She faces 30 years to life in prison. pic.twitter.com/5r6KIrAynB
The NBC report continued:
The South Bay educator was first arrested in March 2023 after a concerned parent suspected her child was possibly having an inappropriate relationship with his former teacher. She was released on bail but quickly re-arrested after evidence of child pornography came to light, according to prosecutors. She has been held without bail ever since.
The boy’s mother claimed she discovered messages on a tablet device between the boy and the teacher. The suspect allegedly told the child to delete some of the messages or use “vanish mode.”
The messages reportedly described sex acts between the suspect and child and explicit images of the boy.
Prosecutors later levied charges against Ma regarding another boy with whom she allegedly exchanged sexually charged texts beginning when he was 11 years old.
The second victim allegedly said he and the suspect planned for him to meet with her in her classroom, but when he entered she allegedly removed her shirt and tried to get closer to the boy who fled the room, per the NBC report.
During an interview after being named one of the teachers of the year, Ma spoke with KUSI News about how she connects with distracted students in the classroom:
