Married California ‘teacher of the year,’ 34, accused of raping 12-year-old girl pleads not guilty

A California teacher who is accused of abusing her 12-year-old student and allegedly keeping trinkets with his initials, love letters hidden in her classroom and a picture of him in her wallet, has pleaded not guilty.

Jacqueline Ma, 34, a sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, was arrested twice in one week on multiple charges related to her alleged relationship with the preteen, now 13.

The researchers said foxnews that, as part of the accumulating damning evidence against the ‘San Diego County Teacher of the Year’, they also found text exchanges in which Ma became frustrated with the victim when she did not reply to the message quickly enough, as well as explicit images .

Ma is also accused of coercing the victim into sending her videos and having been “preparing him, giving him gifts, helping him with school and praising him” to maintain a relationship with the boy for months and “even more than a year,” she said. Drew Hart, San Diego County Assistant District Attorney.

The 34-year-old woman pleaded not guilty to all charges and her defense attorney asked that the accused pedophile be released on bail, but the judge sided with the prosecution and remanded her to the Las Colinas Women’s Detention Center in Santee without bail.

Ma was first arrested on March 7 when she was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age and three counts of oral copulation with a child under 14 years of age, but was released on bail.

The next day, she was arrested again and charged with sexual misconduct, witness intimidation, and multiple counts of child pornography in connection with the same sexual abuse case.

Following his second arrest, National School District Superintendent Leighangela Brady described the allegations as “deeply concerning” in an email to Fox News.

“Our community has learned that Jacqueline Ma, a teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School, has been re-arrested by police as their ongoing investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct with minors secured additional information for filing felony charges,” Brady said.

Ma has been placed on leave and “will not be returning to campus,” Brady added.

“While this entire situation is truly troubling, we appreciate that law enforcement is devoting resources to securing the facts and keeping our school district and community informed of its progress,” the superintendent said.

“I am grateful to our entire school community for facing this situation with a shared commitment to do everything possible to keep our children’s education uninterrupted.”

Ma faces 29 years in state prison if convicted on all counts, according to prosecutors.

Her now-deactivated LinkedIn page said she had been a teacher at the school since 2013.

She was named one of the ‘Teachers of the Year’ by the San Diego County Office of Education for the 2022-2023 school year.

Ma is alleged to have been ‘grooming him, giving him gifts, helping him with school and praising him’ to maintain a relationship with the boy for months and ‘even more than a year,’ San Francisco Assistant District Attorney Drew Hart (pictured) diego county said

She was named one of the ‘Teachers of the Year’ by the San Diego County Office of Education for the 2022-2023 school year. Ma faces 29 years in state prison if he is convicted on all charges according to prosecutors.

Ma was a sixth grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City.

A comment on her award reads: ‘She considers the relationships she has with her students to be her greatest achievements.

“She has spearheaded a school-wide STEM enhancement plan, incorporating outside organizations including the Salk Institute, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Fleet Science Center, and San Diego Zoo, and providing opportunities for students to interact with professionals doing the work to better envision a path to a rewarding STEM career.’

Lincoln Acres Elementary School Principal Kathy Melanese said in the blurb: ‘I cannot imagine a more qualified and passionate educator to receive this honor.

‘The creativity, initiative, collaboration and 100 per cent dedication that Ms. Ma has for her students and the school is immeasurable. When the students leave Ms. Ma’s room, they are more confident students, more committed citizens, and more thoughtful teenagers who know they are loved.’

Police said the student victim no longer attends the school where Ma taught, and it is unclear how the abuse began.