A Los Angeles middle school teacher who sexually abused a 13-year-old student and referred to the boy by the nickname “crystal meth” has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Colleen Jo Matarico appeared in the court on Monday for the sentencing in a blue jumpsuit, as per the reports of The New York Post.
Who is Colleen Jo Matarico and what did she do?
Colleen Jo Matarico is 44-year-old former Los Angeles Los Angeles County middle school teacher. She met the 13-year-old boy when he was 12 in the school she used to teach.
She was also accused of giving the boy marijuana and reportedly told him she was planning to leave her husband for him.
She was arrested in November 2024 and According to CBS News, the extent of her obsession with the boy became clear during earlier court proceedings. Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson cited alleged Instagram messages between Matarico and the victim. “In the messages between her and that minor, she indicates that she is in love with him, that he is the only one that she would go to jail for… and that he is her crystal meth,” Anson said in court.
Also Read: Michael Glantz: Meet the ‘Salad Guy’ who kept eating during WHCD shooting
Matarico was initially charged with eight felony counts, including five counts of lewd acts upon a child under age 14, two counts of lewd acts upon a child aged 14 or 15, and one count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
But then she ultimately pleaded no contest to two counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age. The remaining six charges against her were dropped. She was also ordered not to contact her victim in any way shape or form, which included electronically and through a third party.
Also Read: Where did Cole Tomas Allen buy his guns? What we know about the weapons used in the WH dinner shooting
What happened in the court?
When the 10-year sentence was announced on Monday, according to the New York Post, Matarico smiled, laughed and shook her head. Her only words during the hearing were “good morning” and “yes” when asked if she understood the sentence.
She sat next to her attorney Leonard Levine, who spoke to her quietly before a bailiff escorted her out of the courtroom to start her sentence.
🚨 BREAKING: Watch the full clip here ➤
