Former 'Teacher of the Year' Sentenced for Grooming, Sexually Abusing 2 Pre-Teen Boys: DA

Jacqueline Ma, 36, was sentenced to 30 years to life on May 8 after pleading guilty in February to two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child, one count of lewd act on a child, and one count of possessing child sex abuse material.

She had previously pleaded guilty in February to allegations of substantial sexual conduct and having multiple victims.

The former sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, California will not be eligible for parole for 30 years and must register as a sex offender.

"I am speaking today because I am guilty of my crimes and I’m deeply ashamed of my actions," Ma said in court on Friday, as reported by Fox affiliate KUSI. "I violated my original commitment to be the kind of teacher all parents hope their children will have."

"I ripped away their childhood instead of following the path of what a teacher should be," she continued through tears, per ABC affiliate KGTV. "I let my selfishness overrun the boys’ best interests."

Named as one of San Diego County's "Teachers of the Year" for the 2022-23 school year, Ma began teaching at Lincoln Elementary in 2013. A decade later, in March March 2023, she was arrested after one student's mother allegedly discovered an unauthorized chat between her son and his teacher on a family tablet.

The mother detailed finding sexually explicit messages, per KUSI, including one where Ma purportedly told the boy that she was in love with him. People reports the chat allegedly included explicit images from Ma to the student as she coerced him to send explicit videos back.

Investigators then discovered that the teacher had been allegedly grooming the boy for a year, buying gifts and allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with him.

The San Diego County District Attorney's office detailed in a press release that the student, who was 12 years old at the time of Ma's arrest, was not allowed to have his own social media or his own electronic devices, but Ma allegedly found a way to circumvent this limitation.

The instructor purportedly created an "unapproved afterschool program" where she showed the student how to communicate with her after-hours through a school chat application on school-issued tablets, as well as through video games.

While the parents thought their son was participating in an afterschool basketball program, investigators uncovered that Ma was allegedly engaging him in sex acts in her classroom, according to the release. The DA's office alleges that these abuses went on for a period of three months.

Additional investigating uncovered at least one more victim, dating back to 2020 when that student was 11 years old. KUSI reports that Ma's involvement with this student ended when she allegedly took off her shirt in front of him in a classroom and he left out of fear.

According to the release, the defendant "had been grooming young boys with gifts, food and special attention and even completed their homework for them."

Prosecutors claimed that it was their belief Ma gained the trust of these students' parents through her strong reputation and personal investment in their academic development, per the release.

"This defendant violated the trust she had with her students in the most extreme and traumatic way possible and her actions are despicable," said District Attorney Summer Stephan in her office's statement. "Her victims will have to deal with a lifetime of negative effects and her 30-year sentence is appropriate."

"No child deserves what this defendant did and I hope this sentence brings a measure of justice to the victims, their families and the community that was left reeling from this defendant's crimes," she added.

Speaking in court during her sentencing, Deputy District Attorney Drew Hart said, "Finding out that they were abused by someone who they trusted with their children, and to care for their children, was incredibly devastating to both mothers and both families."

Saying she "disgraced the teaching profession," per People, Ma said in court. "I abused my authority, I exerted my power and control over them, and I deceived them."

"I just pray for an extra hand of protection and strength to all of those I’ve hurt," she said. "I’m so sorry."