More TEACHER ARRESTED |
Teacher Charged For Sex With 2nd Student
Second Boy ID'd After Police Seize Cell Phone
POSTED: 12:58 pm PDT April 16,
2008
UPDATED: 1:05 pm PDT April 16,
2008
TAMPA, Fla. -- A 28-year-old middle school teacher in Tampa, Fla., has been arrested for a second time, accused of having a sexual relationship with another underage student.
Hillsborough County sheriff's officers arrested Stephanie Ragusa on Tuesday, authorities said.She was first arrested on March 13 and charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery.Investigators said she had sex at least three times with a then 14-year-old boy from January 2007 to May 2007.On Tuesday, Ragusa was also charged with two counts of sex with a minor and one count of lewd and lascivious battery stemming from an alleged relationship with a 15-year-old.Police said Ragusa sent the boy text messages on March 10 and they agreed to meet at her home.Investigators identified the second teen after they seized Ragusa's cell phone.Ragusa was released Tuesday night after posting an unknown amount of bail, authorities said.News of the arrest came hours after school officials met to discuss the recent arrests of teachers in the Tampa area accused of having sex with students."It's shocking, again," said district spokesman Steve Hegarty. "But she's out of the classroom and she's not being paid."Ragusa and the second teen's relationship started Feb. 15, 2007, when they had sex at Ragusa's former home, investigators said.From then until March 10 this year, three days before Ragusa's first arrest, she and the teen had sex more than 20 times, according to police.The teen identified Ragusa by describing her tattoos, which could only be seen if she was undressed.The two teens are not being identified because they are considered victims of sex crimes.Before her second arrest, Ragusa had been free on $12,500 bail since March 18.
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