A former San Diego teacher, once lauded as one of the county’s top educators, has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for sexually abusing two young boys. Jacqueline Ma, 36, was sentenced on Friday following her guilty plea to multiple sex crime charges, including lewd acts on a child and possession of illicit material involving minors.
Ma, who had been named San Diego County’s Teacher of the Year in 2022, was arrested in April 2023 after an investigation revealed she had groomed two boys. She began a sexual relationship with one of the victims when he was just 12 years old, while also allegedly grooming another boy years earlier, according to NBC San Diego.
During the sentencing hearing at Chula Vista Superior Court, Ma expressed deep remorse, saying through tears, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions." She admitted to manipulating and deceiving the boys and acknowledged that the trust their families placed in her had been broken. "I ripped away their childhood," she said. "Instead of following the path of what a teacher should be, I let my selfishness override the boys' best interests."
Her defense attorney, Patrick Griffin, stated that Ma accepted the 30-year sentence to spare the victims the trauma of a trial. He added that she had been undergoing therapy while in custody, but "does not expect forgiveness" from the victims or their families. Neither of the victims attended the hearing, and their families made no statements in court.
Deputy district attorney Drew Hart conveyed the sentiments of one victim’s mother, who expressed her disbelief at having trusted Ma. “She cannot believe she trusted her and she is otherwise speechless,” Hart relayed, according to NBC San Diego.
The crimes came to light when the mother of one of the boys discovered disturbing messages between her son and Ma, prompting an investigation.
Detectives later found numerous explicit texts and photos on Ma’s phone, detailing sexual acts and revealing her emotional attachment to one of the boys. During a preliminary hearing, police testified that Ma had used a hidden app to exchange explicit messages with one of the victims, directing him to delete conversations to avoid detection.
Ma’s actions were described as a "prolonged pattern of child sexual abuse" by San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who also noted that her crimes were committed "in plain sight" under the guise of being a well-respected educator.
As per the New York Post, authorities had initially charged Ma only in relation to one victim, known as John Doe 1, but later expanded the charges to include a second boy, referred to as John Doe 2. In the case of the second victim, Ma allegedly took a more direct approach, attempting to engage in inappropriate physical contact in her classroom.
She also bought both boys gifts, such as clothes and gaming items, as part of her grooming process.
Ma, who had been named San Diego County’s Teacher of the Year in 2022, was arrested in April 2023 after an investigation revealed she had groomed two boys. She began a sexual relationship with one of the victims when he was just 12 years old, while also allegedly grooming another boy years earlier, according to NBC San Diego.
During the sentencing hearing at Chula Vista Superior Court, Ma expressed deep remorse, saying through tears, "I am deeply ashamed of my actions." She admitted to manipulating and deceiving the boys and acknowledged that the trust their families placed in her had been broken. "I ripped away their childhood," she said. "Instead of following the path of what a teacher should be, I let my selfishness override the boys' best interests."
NEW: ‘Teacher of the Year’ Jacqueline Ma sentenced to 30 years to life for s*xually abusing her elementary school students.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 11, 2025
The 36 year old San Diego, California teacher was seen bawling in court when she realized she’d be spending the next 3 decades in prison.
Ma pleaded… pic.twitter.com/YwAGYT7Rsi
Her defense attorney, Patrick Griffin, stated that Ma accepted the 30-year sentence to spare the victims the trauma of a trial. He added that she had been undergoing therapy while in custody, but "does not expect forgiveness" from the victims or their families. Neither of the victims attended the hearing, and their families made no statements in court.
Deputy district attorney Drew Hart conveyed the sentiments of one victim’s mother, who expressed her disbelief at having trusted Ma. “She cannot believe she trusted her and she is otherwise speechless,” Hart relayed, according to NBC San Diego.
The crimes came to light when the mother of one of the boys discovered disturbing messages between her son and Ma, prompting an investigation.
Detectives later found numerous explicit texts and photos on Ma’s phone, detailing sexual acts and revealing her emotional attachment to one of the boys. During a preliminary hearing, police testified that Ma had used a hidden app to exchange explicit messages with one of the victims, directing him to delete conversations to avoid detection.
Ma’s actions were described as a "prolonged pattern of child sexual abuse" by San Diego Superior Court Judge Enrique Camarena, who also noted that her crimes were committed "in plain sight" under the guise of being a well-respected educator.
As per the New York Post, authorities had initially charged Ma only in relation to one victim, known as John Doe 1, but later expanded the charges to include a second boy, referred to as John Doe 2. In the case of the second victim, Ma allegedly took a more direct approach, attempting to engage in inappropriate physical contact in her classroom.
She also bought both boys gifts, such as clothes and gaming items, as part of her grooming process.
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