Teacher nan, 43, ditches husband for 13-year-old pupil she calls 'her crystal meth'

Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, has been charged with sexually abusing a teenage student and giving him cannabis. The teacher allegedly left her husband for the pupil, prosecutors said

A 43-year-old teacher left her husband for a 13-year-old pupil she referred to as her "crystal meth", prosecutors have said.

Colleen Jo Matarico, 43, was arrested last week and has been charged with sexually abusing a male student for over a year. Her charges include five felony counts of lewd act upon a child under age 14, two felony counts of lewd act upon a child age 14 or 15, and one felony count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor.

According to the criminal complaint, the middle school teacher - who is a grandmother - allegedly gave cannabis to the boy and convinced the victim to have sex with her in her car. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said the victim was particularly vulnerable and Matarico allegedly "took advantage of a position of trust and confidence as a teacher" to commit the offences.

In a statement shared last week, the LA County DA Office added that Matarico allegedly had "a lack of remorse while committing the crime." District Attorney Gascón said: "The accusations against Ms. Matarico are deeply disturbing and violate the trust that was placed in her by the students, their families, and the entire community.

"I want to acknowledge the courage of the young victim and his decision to report the abuse. Our office and investigators also are working to identify any potential additional victims. The office will seek justice for the victim and those affected by Matarico's actions."

On Tuesday, Matarico pleaded not guilty during an appearance in court in a downtown LA court. After her attorney asked a judge to free the defendant without bail, Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson spoke in detail about the alleged abuse - and claimed to have text messages showing Matarico had no intentions of stopping the relationship if released, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Anson said Matarico began engaging in an inappropriate relationship with the student when he turned 13 - with much of the alleged abuse taking place between August and November 2023. However, Anson said that two of the eight counts against the teacher were more recent and showed that her conduct towards the teenager had become "more severe."

It is alleged that in recent days, Matarico drove to the victim's new high school and waited for him in the car, where they allegedly had another sexual interaction, Anson said. The teacher has also been accused of contacting one of the boy's friends on Instagram so she could continue communicating with the victim.

She allegedly sent messages in which she expressed her love for the teen and said she had left her husband because of the relationship. She allegedly said the boy was "the only person she would go to jail for" and described the victim as her "crystal meth" - a highly addictive drug.

Anson said in court that Matarico, who is "separated" from her husband, was asked by "multiple people in her family" to stop the relationship with the boy. LA County Public Defender Carlos Bido told the LA Times that Matarico "is cooperating fully with the legal process and is prepared to address these serious allegations in court."

The teacher is being held on a $590,000 (£466,700) bond, court records show, and is due back in court in late November. If convicted as charged, Matarico faces a sentence of 20 years and four months in state prison.

The police are urging any potential victims or people with information about the case are urged to contact Juvenile Division detectives at +1 (424) 259-7097. Anyone wishing to stay anonymous can call the LA Regional Crime Stoppers at +1 (800 222-8477) or through their website.