TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
State Releases Audio Of Teacher-Student Conversation In Sex Case
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 9, 2008
Related Links
TAMPA - She says she doesn't want to end up wearing an orange jumpsuit; she says she knows that the relationship is illegal; she tries to define the legal term "statute of limitations."
A 17-minute phone conversation between 29-year-old schoolteacher Stephanie Ragusa and a teenager she is charged with molesting now is available in audio form.
On Thursday, prosecutors released a transcript of Ragusa and the teen discussing their relationship. The boy's name was not released because of the nature of the charges.
TBO.com has muddled the voice of the teenager in the recorded call to prevent identification.
After Hillsborough County sheriff's investigators interviewed the teenager, who said he was 14 when he had sex with Ragusa, they asked him to record a conversation with her. Deputies left recording equipment with him.
The next day they reviewed the recording and Ragusa was arrested.
She faces three charges of lewd and lascivious battery.
The teen told investigators that he and the teacher had sex at least three times from January through May 2007.
She was arrested again April 15 after investigators found evidence that she had sex with another teenager as many as 20 times from Feb. 15, 2007, until three days before her arrest, they said.
That boy was 15 but turned 16 during their relationship.
Ragusa was arrested a third time on April 28 after investigators saw her leaving the second boy's home while she was free on bail, they said.
He told deputies they had just had sex again.
Ragusa is being held without bail at Falkenburg Road Jail.
Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
Reader Comments
Posted by ( Quagmire ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If I hooked up with Stephanie, it would be like she was having three 15 year olds at the same time.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( whasup ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
yeah, for a whole three minutes.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( icebrkr ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
@ Quagmire I can't help but laugh!
What I want to know is, where were these teachers when I was 15?!?! Geesh! And ya know, I wouldn't have told a soul! Ok, maybe my one buddy--
At that age, hormones are crazy and all the girls in your HS are wearing larger bras. I don't blame these kids at all.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Claylisa ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hey...you know what? When are we going to get another Loosey-Ragusa news story from TBO?
It's ashame how we never get updated on this perverted story enough.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Quagmire ) on May 9, 2008 at 2:51 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
whasup, I don't think it would take that long.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( mommy2eandl ) on May 9, 2008 at 3:22 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
She's not smiling anymore!!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( demum ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
To all you morons that have talked about how hot she is: Have you seen the pictures...she barks!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Quagmire ) on May 9, 2008 at 4:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hey uh demum, try comprehending what you are reading. Nobody on this post said she was hot. So I don't know what morons you are referring to unless it's yourself.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( demum ) on May 9, 2008 at 5:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Hey Quag*...Every story in the past has had a raft of comments related to how hot this woman is. Call it a pre-emptive comment...and...gfy
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( RobKay ) on May 9, 2008 at 5:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
So these teenage guys were talking to the cops. I'm not sure I understand why? Were they bragging or complaining? I can't help but think if she was all that great in the sack they'd have wanted the whole thing to continue. Come to think of it, at 15 I thought any kind of sex was pretty good.
Could we be witnessing the beginning of some kind of morality in our teenagers??? It would have been more moral if they'd said no first but you have to take what you can get. Wouldn't it be a real "comuppance" to our moral selfriteousness if the students themselves were the ones to put an end to the pedophile teacher problem after we couldn't?
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( ttommiejo ) on May 10, 2008 at 2:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
You want to know what's really sad about all of this? It hit CNN'S Nancy Grey I think I spell that right if not please forgive me for my lousy spelling. Anyway on of people on the phone explain how she came to their daughter's party dress in a mini skirt & a halter top carry a wine cooler with her. I don't know about anyone else but if anybody in their right mind would tell me that she's a teacher I would have reservations on that alone. Another thing is that if a teacher like that came to my daughter's party dress like that & carrying a wine cooler that would in my mind raise a red flag BIG TIME. What do you think?
Report Inappropriate Comments