Married California 'Teacher of the Year' had student's pic in wallet as charges mount: DA

A married California "teacher of the year," who has been accused of sexually abusing a former student, "was obsessive, possessive, controlling and dangerous," prosecutors said in court.

Jacqueline Ma, a 34-year-old sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in National City, was arrested twice in a week after police found more evidence against her, which was presented Monday in the Superior Court South County Division in Chula Vista.

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Investigators found a picture of the 13-year-old victim's picture in her wallet, jewelry with his initials, love letters in her classroom and text exchanges that showed Ma became frustrated that the victim didn't message her back quick enough, prosecutors alleged.

She also allegedly sent explicit images to the student and coerced him to send videos back to her, according to prosecutors, who said the inappropriate behavior began when the victim was 12.

"This defendant maintained a relationship with this child for months, maybe even more than a year, when she began grooming him, giving him gifts, helping him with school, and praising him," said Drew Hart, deputy district attorney for San Diego County.

Ma pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her defense lawyers sparred with prosecutors on bond, but the judge sided with the prosecution and remanded her to Las Colinas Women's Detention Center in Santee without bail.

Ma was originally released on bond after her first arrest on March 7, when she was charged with three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14 and three counts of oral copulation with a child under 14.

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 sex abuse case.

After her second arrest, National School District Superintendent Leighangela Brady said the allegations are "deeply troubling" in an emailed statement to Fox News Digital.... (Read more)

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