CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — A National City teacher, previously recognized as one of San Diego County's top educators, appeared in court on Tuesday for the first time in months. There a judge said Jacqueline Ma will stand trial on amended charges of forcible sexual acts.
She faces accusations of inappropriate relationships with two former students who were both minors.
Ma, 34, was initially arrested on March 7 for alleged sexual misconduct with a student, according to the National City Police Department.
The sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School was arrested again on March 9 after being released on bail, according to the police.
READ MORE: National City ‘Teacher of the Year’ accused of sexual misconduct with 13-year-old re-arrested
Prosecutors painted a picture of the relationships she had with the student. Ma, visibly emotional, listened as one of the victims detailed their alleged encounters.
Earlier this year, a prosecutor described Ma's behavior towards the victim as "obsessive, possessive, controlling and dangerous" and that her illicit involvement with the boy began when he was 12 years old.
That victim is now 13 years old, according to prosecutors.
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Another victim under the age of 14 came forward in July as new charges were filed against Ma. She faces over 150 years to life in state prison if convicted of all 19 felony counts and allegations.
Prosecutors said the first victim has suffered mentally from the attention the case has already gotten.
"This request is not being made on skepticism or just an assumption that this might occur. The people have been in communication with the family of this victim," said a deputy district attorney. "He has already been singled out by certain people and suspected of being the one involved in this case."
The boy has since transferred from Lincoln Acres Elementary School.
During the court proceedings, lead National City Police detective Colleen Stanich also detailed the alleged encounters.
Stanich began reading screenshots of messages she claims the former 'Teacher of the Year' exchanged with one of the alleged victims. The detective says Ma deleted other messages sent to the victim, but kept dozens of screenshots of conversations in a locked hidden folder on her iPhone. Those screenshots allegedly discuss a sexual relationship between the two.
One message, allegedly written by Ma, was read aloud in court. " I love you too, like I'm actually in love with you," the detective read. Another message the detective testified Ma sent said, "do not forget my underwear is in your pocket."
Stanich testified she believed Ma groomed the students before the alleged inappropriate relationships. Once the student went to a different school, the detective said Ma showed up at the school on his birthday.
"Ms. Ma brought a present to the child in question and signed in as his sister," Stanich testified. The detective added that Ma admitted to doing it.
But Ma's defense attorney argued Ma frequently gave gifts to students and showed up at their out of school events to be supportive.
"Isn't it true that Ms. Ma would buy gifts for other students as well?" attorney Mario Vela asked the detective on cross examination. "During the pandemic she used to buy kids food and school supplies."
Ultimately, Judge Maryann D'Addezio ruled that there was "overwhelming evidence" Ma had used her position of authority as a way to force the students into the sexual acts. D'Addezio agreed with the prosecution's request to amend Ma's charges and bound her over on charges of forcible sex acts, as opposed to non-forcible.
"The sexual abuse took place in the classroom. I think everyone understands that at school, the classroom is the teacher's kingdom," D'Addezio said in her ruling.
Ma is scheduled to be back in court on January 16, where she will be arraigned on the amended charges.
