OAN Staff Avril Elfie
5:52 PM – Wednesday, November 13, 2024
A former Los Angeles County middle school special education teacher has pleaded not guilty to charges of lewd conduct and ongoing sexual abuse of an underage male student.
advertisement
On Tuesday, Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, was charged with five counts of felony lewd acts on a child under 14, two counts of felony lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 years old, and one count of felony lewd acts on a child. He has pleaded not guilty to eight felonies, including: supplying a controlled substance to a minor;
In this incident, she reportedly provided marijuana to an underage student.
According to prosecutors, Matariko committed sex crimes between last year and this year.
She appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, where Judge Susan J. De Witt ruled that bail of $590,000 was sufficient. If Matariko is granted bail, he will be required to wear a GPS tracking device.
November 26thth is her next court date.
Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told the judge that Matariko continued to contact the victim after first learning of the investigation last year and argued against a possible bail reduction during the hearing. He said there was.
Anson said prosecutors are “afraid” that Matariko will try to violate a criminal protection order that prohibits him from speaking or seeing the boy because of his desperate and disturbing behavior.
“She first met him when she was 12 years old,” Anson said. “And the inappropriate relationship began when she was 13 years old, when she was still a teacher. She believed the investigation was over, but the relationship was not.”
Anson went on to highlight specific Instagram messages allegedly exchanged between the 43-year-old suspect and the young victim.
“In the messages between her and the minor, she shows that she loves him, that he is the only one who will go to jail, and that he is her stimulant. ” Matariko's ex-boyfriend – her husband and other family members – begged her to stop contacting her, Anson said, but she wouldn't listen.
Judge de Witt then asked Matariko if she wanted to address her accusations in court, but Matariko shook her head and refused.
Prosecutors also said Matariko's “behavior worsened” after learning of the investigation, saying she “went to the victim's new school, engaged in inappropriate relations with the victim in her car, and assaulted the victim outside.” It is possible that he was waiting for someone.” at school or during class hours. ”
Prosecutors said the victim at least once told Matariko's family that the disgraced former teacher was “very jealous, worried and scared.”
“We don't know how much or exactly what that means,” Anson said.
Deputy Public Defender Carlos Bido, on the other hand, tried to argue that Matarico should be released on his own recognizance through GPS tracking because he has two children, ages 11 and 15. Another claim was that she had lived in the same house for 17 years. For many years, he was “at risk of not being able to fly.” Finally, she added that she still doesn't have a job since her teaching position ended last year.
De Witt agreed to keep Matariko's bail at $590,000, the same amount as when he was first charged last week.
If convicted on all charges, Matariko could serve up to 20 years and four months in state prison.
“Furthermore, it is alleged that the victim was in a particularly vulnerable position and that Matariko took advantage of his position of trust and confidence as a teacher to commit the crime.It is also alleged that Matariko lacked remorse during the commission of the crime. “It is also alleged that the same law exists,” the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.
If you have any additional victims or information, please call Detective Hess at (213) 473-0561. If you wish to remain anonymous, please call LA Regional Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Stay informed. Receive breaking news directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisement below
Please share this post!
