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Lafave Charged With Probation Violation

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By Thomas W. Krause of The Tampa Tribune and Natalie Shepherd of News Channel 8

Published: December 4, 2007

Updated: 12/04/2007 05:35 pm

TAMPA - TAMPA - Photos | Videos: Debra Lafave Walks Into Jail | Debra Lafave Walks Out Of Jail

TAMPA -- Debra Lafave, the former Greco Middle School teacher currently serving house arrest for having sex with a 14-year-old student, was arrested about 12:30 p.m. today for a probation violation, according to jail records.

  Debra Lafave

The arrest was made by the probation office. Probation officials said Lafave improperly had intimate conversations with a female minor at the restaurant where she worked until a few weeks ago.

According to the violation document, Lafave discussed with a 17-year-old co-worker "family problems, friends, high school, personal life, boyfriend issues and sexual issues in both private one-on-one conversations" and in group settings while at work.

Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett, when presented with the house arrest violation document, checked a box allowing for Lafave's release on her own recognizance.

Lafave walked out of the jail about 3 p.m. Asked by a reporter why she was arrested, she teared up.

"I don't know," she said.

Lafave's mother, who accompanied her, said they had no further comment.

According to the rules of her house arrest, she is not to have any unsupervised contact with a minor.

Her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, said he will have a 4:30 p.m. news conference to address the issue.

Lafave pleaded guilty on Nov. 22, 2005, to two charges of committing lewd and lascivious acts.

Under the terms of her deal, Lafave was to spend three years on house arrest and then seven on sex-offender probation. Had she been convicted at trial, she could have faced up to 15 years in prison on each of the charges.

A provision of her plea deal states she could ask the court to commute the final year of house arrest to probation if she completes the first two years without incident, which she had done until today.

Last week, Fitzgibbons said he was working on a request to the court to end her house arrest. He said then that he expects to file something within a few weeks.

The probation officer, Michael Cotignola, has recommended that Lafave be sentenced according to Florida Criminal Punishment Code. If a judge decides to return her to probation, Contignola suggests, she should not be allowed to have early release from house arrest and should continue to wear her electronic monitor.

Lafave has had no previous violation of her house arrest. Probation records show she worked at Danny Boy's restaurant in Sun City Center until last month.

Lafave worked at the restaurant for nearly two years and was an excellent employee, Scott Griffin, 28, manager of the restaurant, said.

"Never had any issues or any problems with her at all," Griffin said. "There were no issues with her interactions with other employees. She was very friendly and always punctual. All of a sudden this was sprung up on us three weeks ago."

Griffin said he received a phone call from the probation office that Lafave would no longer be working at the restaurant.

"With no explanations," Griffin said. "We're all completely shocked."

It was known that a condition Lafave's probation was supervision if there was contact with a minor, but Griffin said the 17-year-old employee, who will be 18 next month, didn't bring a complaint to him.

"I would say she is getting a pretty bad deal," Griffin said. "She completed two of three years house arrest with no problems and they spring this on her."

Griffin said the 17-year-old is the only employee under 18 working at the restaurant.

Lafave now works at her mother's barbershop in Ruskin, where she cleans, mops floors and performs reception work. Lafave has passed all drug tests.

News Channel 8 reporter Natalie Shepherd and Tribune reporter Chris Echegaray contributed to this report. Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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