Jaqueline Ma, a former San Diego County Teacher of the Year, astonished the court by pleading not guilty to multiple felony charges about sexual offenses committed with elementary school students. (Photo: 10News)

Jaqueline Ma Faces Multiple Felonies After Allegedly Coercing Students into Sex Acts and Possessing Child Pornography

Jaqueline Ma, a former San Diego County Teacher of the Year, astonished the court by pleading not guilty to multiple felony charges about sexual offenses committed with elementary school students. Since her arrest in March 2023, Ma has faced charges including allegedly forcing two elementary school students to participate in sexual acts against their will, exchanging unauthorized photographs, and possessing child pornography.

After entering a preliminary hearing last month, the 34-year-old former fifth and sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary in National City pleaded not guilty to fifteen felony charges in March 2023. Subsequently, during an arraignment on information, she reaffirmed her plea.

The investigation started when the parent of a 12-year-old boy said that Ma and the preteen might have been dating because they were sharing inappropriate photos and having sexual encounters. As the investigation went on, police found a second possible victim: an 11-year-old boy to whom Ma is said to have sent inappropriate texts. Ma was charged with several crimes, such as lewd acts on a child, seduction of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, and having child pornography on her person. Authorities say that when she was caught, she had a picture of one of the victims in her wallet, jewelry with his name on it, and love letters in her classroom.

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Despite posting a $100,000 bond in March 2023 and being released, Ma was back in jail days later after being accused of attempting to communicate with one of the boys while out on bail. She has been held in jail without bail since then. The arraignment on information comes after Ma’s preliminary hearing, during which the judge determined there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial.

Ma was one of five local teachers named San Diego County Teacher of the Year early last year by the San Diego County Office of Education. With the recent not-guilty plea, the community remains shocked and disturbed by the accusations against a once-celebrated educator. The trial is set to commence on April 26, following a pre-trial readiness conference on March 8. The case has garnered significant attention, leaving many to question the dynamics of trust and safety within educational institutions.

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