TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Bail Hearing Postponed Again In Teacher-Student Sex Case
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Stephanie Ragusa was arrested for a third time on Monday.
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Published: May 2, 2008
Updated: 05/02/2008 10:56 am
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TAMPA - A hearing regarding bail for Stephanie Ragusa, a teacher accused of having sex with two underage students, was put off indefinitely today.
She will remain behind bars until further notice.
On Monday, Ragusa, 29, was accused by sheriff's deputies of having sex with a 16-year-old student while out on bail for charges that she had sex with the same teen. She also faces charges that she had sex with a 14-year-old student in 2007.
Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett postponed an emergency bail hearing Tuesday to give Ragusa's attorney enough time to prepare.
Today, Robert Herce again asked to postpone the hearing.
"It has become obvious and apparent to me that we are going to need more time in order to have a meaningful hearing before the court," Herce said.
A new date was not set.
Outside the courthouse, Herce said Ragusa is being held without bail for her third arrest and that prosecutors have asked the judge to revoke bail for her first two.
"We are at a disadvantage in not knowing a lot about the third case," he said. "As more information comes out, we will address this issue again."
He declined to comment on Ragusa's state of mind, other than to say she wants to go home.
Ragusa has been jailed since her arrest Monday, the third arrest in six weeks in connection with the allegations. The most recent charges were levied when a sheriff's detective spotted her coming out of a student's house and learned they had just had sex again, according to an arrest report.
Ragusa violated two terms of her release: She contacted the victim, and she was arrested on a new charge, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said.
TBO.com isn't naming the students to avoid identifying a possible sex crime victim.
If Ragusa is denied bail, she might be looking at months in jail before trial. Similar cases in Hillsborough County have taken up to two years to resolve charges.
Herce has filed a request to withhold court materials from the media and public, including a recorded conversation between Ragusa and the first teenager. The student recorded the conversation at law enforcement's request.
Typically, these materials are public records.
In his request, Herce writes that the recorded conversation amounts to a confession. Confessions typically are exempted from public disclosure. The significant media coverage of this case could make a fair trial difficult to achieve, Herce said.
"We believe some of that information should be withheld at this point," he said. "It would be very prejudicial to release that now because of the saturation we're seeing."
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Wednesday.
Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( Frankie_Fla ) on May 2, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Shes just mad that they didnt put her in Juvie.
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Posted by ( Bad_Krusty ) on May 2, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Can I sign her out?
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Posted by ( Bigshow ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wonder if you can go visit her at the orient road jail, any one know or if you can write to her, wheres her base ball star TEXAS RANGER Tony irvin. at Now. hmmm let us know
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Posted by ( 2old4jail ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:11 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Terms of Bail: Must be wearing tamper-proof chastity belt with GPS tracking device and have her jaw wired shut in a "non-smiling" fashion.
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Posted by ( politicalmike ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
How many of you hate Ragusa because you are married to disgusting pig women that are the bane of your existence?
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Posted by ( bossimareek ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
call the doctor while she is waiting to get her evaluated.
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Posted by ( whasup ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:50 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
only you, politicalmike.
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Posted by ( Nilam02 ) on May 2, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
All I want to know is.... where were these teachers at when I was in school?
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Posted by ( beth ) on May 2, 2008 at 11:03 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hopefully she doesn't get a bail period. I think it's pretty obvious that she can't be trusted to abide by the law...
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Posted by ( debsidea ) on May 2, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
come on, are these boys done "growing" yet?
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Posted by ( jassack ) on May 2, 2008 at 11:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Fitzgibbons would have had this under the rug by now.
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Posted by ( Claylisa ) on May 2, 2008 at 11:45 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
2old4jail, does the belt prevent rear-entry though?
Enough of this story already...it's obvious that her and 'teen-dream' are in love. Let them be.
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Posted by ( Doofy ) on May 2, 2008 at 11:55 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Leno joked about her last night on his show. She is going national.
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Posted by ( Mrs_Teacher ) on May 2, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Of course, my high school students are becoming so desensitized to this that they think screwing a teacher is not only okay, but a rite of passage. This pedophile is making the rest of us hard-working professionals look terrible.
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Posted by ( welshiesdad ) on May 2, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
She isn't that good looking. Apparently she also can't attract anyone her own age....
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Posted by ( samiam ) on May 2, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
if the female confessed to the crime,
why are talking about bail anyway?
we should be talking about speedy trial
& sentencing.
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Posted by ( tparich ) on May 2, 2008 at 12:48 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
She "wants to go home".
(the boy's home)
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Posted by ( TylerDurden ) on May 2, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The electric chair isn't the only type of "shocker" that can be given to pervert inmates.
Discuss.
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Posted by ( banglijk ) on May 2, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Tyler, what would you propose for this crime?
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Posted by ( TylerDurden ) on May 2, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
banglijk
The “shocker” above was a poor stab at a crude joke. See UrbanDictionary. It can define it for you.
But since you asked...
A minimum of a few years in a mental hospital or somewhere she can get help, chemical or otherwise followed 5 years(or so) after that of parole to include a GPS traceable community control device and mandatory counseling with the length to be determined by the court/Drs. All of this would be on her dime, not the taxpayers.
That is my sexist answer, for girls only. Were she a man I would not answer the same way.
If I had to stream-line my answer for both sexes I would say lock ‘em up in special sex offender self-supporting work farm of no return and throw away the key. Work all day and violate each other all night... Heck, make it co-ed. Enjoy!
If that doesn’t work, piece her out to kids with cancer or that need a kidney replaced. Her parts are worth more than the hole.
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Posted by ( Ryan_Levi_Lesswick ) on May 2, 2008 at 2:07 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'd hit it...
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Posted by ( banglijk ) on May 2, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Tyler, I agree she needs help. She is mentally and emotionally immature evidently and I don't see how sitting in prison can do her any good and I don't believe whatsoever that her "victim" is somehow damaged.
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Posted by ( TylerDurden ) on May 2, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
banglijk
Damaged nah, more prone to treat women like disposable crap, maybe and M A Y B E go through wives like Larry King in the future... I would take that bet for dollar.
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Posted by ( theWorld2day ) on May 3, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I don't think she should even get bail after the 2nd time and she was laughing bout it wen she got arrested she is clearly sick she needs special help she likes little boys i agree the only thing that can get her mad is that they didn't put her in juvie thanks gooodness i don;t care if she was in love with this boy or not its dumb and so uncall for all these teachers they need to get straighted out asap!!!! SICK TEACHERS MESSING IT UP FOR THE GOOD TEACHERS THAT ARE LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted by ( ttommiejo ) on May 4, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The way I see it is as follows: Everybody is right one way or another. If you ask me I think they should lock her up & throw away the bloody key.
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Posted by ( secksfenders ) on May 7, 2008 at 1 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
It's odd how everyone here makes a joke out this serious offense. A teacher broke several laws, all felonies, and all everyone can do here is wish they were the student victim. Unbelievable. If it were a man with a 14 year old nymph, you all would be screaming for the death chamber. Ragusa is a criminal that deserves to be locked up permanently and labeled a sexual predator. If she got out she would do the same thing over. These perverts never learn. Never. Throw the key away and let the other inmates bring her some justice.
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Posted by ( joblow25 ) on May 10, 2008 at 3:30 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I really can't see what the problem is, except the law is being dirty by entering into bedrooms when there is no complaint. In Australia, the age of consent is 16, in some countries there is no age of consent, or if there is, it is 10 or 12 years old. It is only a mans law anyway! Why is it legal to have sex at different countries at different ages, shows the law is crap.
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