Sex Act In Classroom With Teen Lands Calif. Teacher Prison Time

REDWOOD CITY, CA — A former teacher who engaged in a sexual act with a 15-year-old student inside a Silicon Valley charter school classroom was recently sentenced to five years in prison, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office announced. The woman, who was 33 at the time of the crime, was convicted of four counts related to lewd encounters with two teen boys in September. On Friday, she learned her fate.

Danielle Matko, now 35, taught at Aspire East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy where the inappropriate contact happened with the boys in 2015, according to prosecutors. Between Sept. 1 and Nov. 14 of that year, the married English teacher invited the boys to touch her bare breasts, kissed one of the boys and "pulled [one of the boy's] pants down and orally copulated him," documents from the San Mateo County D.A.'s office state.

She was ultimately convicted of one count of oral copulation with a minor, along with three counts of lewd acts on a minor. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a second count of oral copulation on a minor.

On Friday, the court denied the Belmont resident probation and instead said she must spend five years in prison with 137 days credit for time served, the D.A.'s office said. She's also barred from contacting the victims for three years, must pay restitution in an amount that's yet to be determined and take an HIV test.

Matko will have to register as a sex offender for life.

Prosecutors said back in 2015, Matko was in her East Palo Alto classroom during a free period when the first inappropriate incident happened. That's when she showed her breasts to a 15-year-old boy. Matko allowed the boy to touch them and then she rubbed his thigh and his penis, authorities said.

On two other days when the victim was staying late in her classroom, Matko kissed him, pulled his pants down and orally copulated him, though she was only convicted of one related count, according to
prosecutors.

On another occasion the same boy and one other boy were in her classroom when Matko removed her blouse and allowed the boys to touch her bare breasts, prosecutors said.

The boys told their friends about what happened and one of them eventually told a legal aid lawyer who then reported it to police. Prosecutors said Matko denied all of the allegations and said the boys were making it up.

A statement from school officials confirmed that Matko was fired from the school. School officials also said that they are committed to the safety and security of their students and that they cooperated with police as officers investigated the allegations.

Matko's attorney Adam Gasner was not immediately available for comment.

ALSO ON PATCH: Partying In 'Panties': Snapchat Video of Beaumont High Teacher With Students Led To Arrest: PATCH EXCLUSIVE

--

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report / Sheriff's booking photo