A former county teacher of the year at a Southern California elementary school has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for multiple counts of grooming and sexually assaulting two young boys on campus. Jacqueline Ma, who taught at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, near San Diego, pleaded guilty in February to several charges, including two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child, one count of a lewd act on a child, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Ma’s arrest occurred in March 2023 after the mother of one victim discovered inappropriate messages exchanged between her son and Ma on a family tablet. Following the report, investigators unearthed evidence that Ma had been grooming the boy for over a year before she sexually abused him when he was only 12 years old. Additionally, authorities learned that Ma had also groomed and assaulted another boy, aged 11, in 2020.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan condemned Ma’s actions, stating, “This defendant violated the trust she had with her students in the most extreme and traumatic way possible, and her actions are despicable.” She emphasized the long-lasting impact this abuse will have on the victims and deemed Ma's 30-year sentence appropriate given the circumstances.

Jacqueline Ma had been a part of the educational system since 2013 and held a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in education, both from the University of California, San Diego. Her credentials and contributions to education were honored when she was awarded Teacher of the Year by the San Diego County Office of Education for the 2022-23 academic year.

This incident sheds light on the critical issue of safeguarding children in educational environments and underscores the severe consequences of violations of trust by educators. The case serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for vigilance and intervention to protect children from predatory behavior.