SANTA ANA, Calif. – A former teacher was sentenced to 46 years to life in state prison today for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Jeffrey Scott Jones, 57, Huntington Beach, was found guilty by a jury on Oct. 19, 2016, of two felony counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one felony count of continuous sexual abuse. In addition to prison, Jones was sentenced to mandatory lifetime sex offender registration.
At the time of the crime, Jones was working as a teacher for advanced placement English at Libra Academy in Huntington Park. Prior to the crime, the defendant had regular access to children as a teacher for 27 years, including at Bell High School in the City of Bell. Jane Doe was not one of the defendant’s students.
Between Sept. 1, 2012, and April 30, 2013, Jones, who held a position of trust, frequently and continuously sexually assaulted 13-year-old Jane Doe. On May 4, 2013, and May 9, 2013, Jones raped the victim, stating that he would ruin her life if she told anyone what he was doing. The victim went to a friend’s home and the defendant went to get her. The friend’s mother refused to allow the defendant to take Jane Doe.
In May 2013, the crime was reported to the Huntington Beach Police Department, who investigated the case and arrested Jones at his home on June 27, 2013.
During the trial, a female relative of the victim testified for the defendant and gave an alternative explanation as to how the defendant’s semen was found inside of the victim’s cervix. In rebuttal, evidence was introduced that the defendant had sex with two minor former students for an extended period of time.
Immediately after the guilty verdict was read, the defendant cut his throat with a razor blade and sustained a non-life threatening injury. Jones was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment before being taken into custody.
At Jones’ sentencing today, a victim impact statement was delivered to the court on behalf of the victim pursuant to Marsy’s Law. The victim described how difficult the last few years of her life have been, saying in part, “You broke and brought me down to feel worthless. There were days I blamed myself thinking I did something wrong to the point that I wanted to take my life … I was a little girl and you took my innocence. Parents and kids trusted you to be a teacher, not a predator.”
She concluded saying, “I have a family and a support system that you can’t take from me. I refuse to allow your abuse to stop the woman I want to become.”
