샌디에이고 카운티 '2022-2023 올해의 교사상(Teacher of the Year)'을 수상한 30대 한인여성이 13세 미성년 제자를 상대로 성범죄를 저지른 혐의로 긴급 체포됐다.

9일 KTLA, Fox5 San Diego, NBC7 San Diego, 뉴욕포스트 등 주류언론들에 따르면 샌디에이고 남쪽 내셔널시티에 위치한 링컨 에이커스 초등학교에서 6학년 담임선생으로 근무해온 재클린 마(Jacqueline Ma·34·사진)씨가 미성년자 상대 성범죄 혐의로 지난 7일 체포된 후 보석금을 내고 풀려났다 9일 샌디에이고 지역에서 다시 검거돼 여성구치소에 수감됐다.

마씨의 재검거는 경찰의 추가수사로 인해 더 많은 혐의들이 드러나면서 이루어진 것으로 전해졌다. 마씨는 7건의 아동 포르노물 소지, 2건의 미성년자를 상대로 한 음란행위, 4건의 미성년자를 상대로 성적 착취 등 총 14건의 혐의로 입건됐다.

A California educator who was previously honored as “Teacher of the Year” pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexual misconduct involving two minors.

Jacqueline Ma was arrested in 2023 over accusations she had engaged in sexual relationships with the minors, both students at the time, Fox 5 San Diego reported. Prosecutors reportedly alleged she exchanged inappropriate messages and photos with the students, as well as once took off her shirt after asking one student for a private meeting in her classroom.

A former 'Teacher of the Year' pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two of her students, aged 11 and 12. Jacqueline Ma, a fifth and sixth-grade teacher at Lincoln Acres Elementary School in San Diego, was initially facing up to 180 years in prison, but a plea deal reduced her potential sentence to 30 years to life.