Former ‘Teacher of the Year’ Cries in Court While Admitting to Sexually Abusing 12-Year-Old Whose Photo She Kept in Wallet

A former California “Teacher of the Year” admitted to sexually abusing two elementary school students, sobbing as she pleaded guilty in court.

Jacqueline Ma, 35, of San Diego, was arrested in 2023 and charged with engaging in sexual relationships with two of her students, who were 11 and 12 years old at the time, Fox 5 San Diego reports.

One of the relationships lasted for months, said prosecutors, who previously called her “obsessive” and “dangerous,” according to KGTV.

“When she was arrested, she had a photograph of the victim in her wallet, she had jewelry with his initials, love letters were discovered in her classroom,” Deputy District Attorney Drew Hart said previously, CBS8 reported.

Ma sent explicit images to the student and coerced him to send explicit videos back to her, prosecutors alleged. Hart said the inappropriate behavior began when the victim was 12.

Ma’s trial was supposed to begin in April.

But on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in a surprise plea deal with prosecutors for a lesser sentence, Ma pleaded guilty to four felony counts, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

This included two counts of lewd acts with a child under age 14, with duress; a lewd act involving a second child under 14; and possessing material containing a minor engaged in or simulating sexual conduct, the Union-Tribune reports.

In court, when the judge asked whether she was guilty or not guilty, she said, “Guilty,” as tears rolled down her cheeks, according to video from Fox 5 San Diego.

“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 pleaded to,” Hart said, Fox 5 San Diego reports.

Ma had been a fifth and sixth grade teacher in the National School District since 2013, the Union-Tribune reports.

Both of her victims were students at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, where Ma was a teacher, when the abuse took place, prosecutors said.

In August 2022, she was among five teachers named San Diego County Teacher of the Year for the 2022-2023 school year.

“This was very significant to us, not just because she won an award, but because of who she was in the community,” Hart said, Fox 5 San Diego reports. “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.”

Ma faces 30 years to life in prison.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.