Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Former Teacher Arrested For Third Time For Sexual Relations With Underage Student

A former middle school teacher who was arrested twice for having sex with underage boys, has been arrested again on Monday after being caught in the home of one of those children.
Stephanie Ragusa, 29, is a former teacher for the Davidson Middle School, in Tampa and was first arrested on March 13, 2008, for having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old boy.

According to the sheriff's investigation, Ragusa had three sexual encounters with the teen between Oct. 1, 2006, and May 4, 2007 — twice in her car and once in her apartment, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.


Ragusa was arrested again on April 15, 2008, for having sex with another minor who was 15 years old and she was charged with lewd and lascivious battery and two counts of sex with a minor.

Investigators at that time said Ragusa and the underage child had over 20 encounters over the time frame of a several months between February 2007 and March 2008. They also allege that she provided condoms and alcohol to the minor.

Investigators say text messages found on Ragusa's cell phone led them to discover the relationship. They also say the victim identified Ragusa based on two tattoos that can only be seen when she is not wearing pants.

Despite the arrest, Ragusa was all smiles when she left the Orient Road Jail late Tuesday. She was released on $22,500 bond.


Yesterday, April 28, 2008, Ragusa was arrested again, this time she was caught at the home of one of the boys she had previously been charged with having sex with.

According to detectives, the underage boy contacted them and informed the authorities that he has been exchanging text messages with Ragusa and that the last time they had sexual relations was on April 5, 2008.

The two continued to stay in contact from April 5 until April 28, when detectives spotted Ragusa leaving the boys home.

After investigating, deputies say they learned the two had sex, and that the witness they had interviewed saw Ragusa and the boy kissing at the house. Detectives say the witness videotaped them kissing using his cell phone, and then turned the video over to deputies.

The witness also told detectives that when he went into the boy's home, he heard noises coming from the boy's bedroom. Investigators say the witness told them it sounded like Ragusa and the boy were having sex, and they say the victim later confirmed that they had.


Detectives were told that Ragusa supposedly went to the boys home to discuss the previous charges and according to what the teenager told the police, the "two ended up in a familiar place, his bedroom."

Ragusa is now being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail, awaiting a hearing for a bail revocation hearing because a judge had previously ordered that if she was arrested again, he would revoke her bail.

According to Lt. Asteasuainzarra, Ragusa is not speaking to investigators and he says, "I can assure you that we are doing everything we can right now to make sure that she is not out at liberty to do this again."

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