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Bail Hearing This Morning In Teacher-Student Sex Case

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2008

TAMPA - Prosecutors are scheduled to ask a judge today to keep teacher Stephanie Ragusa behind bars until she stands trial on charges including unlawful sexual activity with minors.

Ragusa, 29, is accused by sheriff's deputies of having sex with a 16-year-old student, while out on bail for charges that she previously had sex with the same teen. She also faces charges that she had sex with a 14-year-old last year.

On Tuesday, prosecutors wanted to ask Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett to hold her without bail. The hearing was delayed until today so her attorney could prepare.

Ragusa has been held at the Orient Road Jail since her arrest Monday, the third arrest in six weeks in connection with allegations she had sex with the two high school boys. 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, said Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi.

If Ragusa is denied bail today, she might be looking at months in jail before trial. Similar cases in Hillsborough County took up to two years before charges were resolved.

TBO.com isn't naming the students to avoid identifying a possible sex crime victim.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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