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In jailhouse letters, Ragusa says she's misunderstood

Staff file photo by KATE CALDWELL

Deputies have accused Stephanie Ragusa of hoarding underwear, pillowcases and bedding in violation of jail rules. They also confiscated a fermented alcohol drink known as "Buck" from her cell, the reports state.

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 2, 2009

TAMPA - A former middle school teacher accused of having sex with two students thinks the public has the wrong perception of her.

"I am way more settled & traditional than people would think," Stephanie Ragusa wrote to a friend in July 2008.

"I'm kind of a dork."

The jailhouse letter was among documents Hillsborough County prosecutors released today; part of the exchange of information with Ragusa's attorneys.

The documents also contain pages of disciplinary reports.

Deputies have accused Ragusa of hoarding underwear, pillowcases and bedding in violation of jail rules. They also confiscated a fermented alcohol drink known as "Buck" from her cell, the reports state.

The former math teacher was arrested in March 2008 and accused of having sex at least three times with a 14-year-old boy.

A month later, she was arrested again after authorities said they had identified another victim; Ragusa is accused of having sex with that teen as many as 20 times.

She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of lewd or lascivious battery. A status conference in the case is scheduled Sept. 30. Ragusa is being held without bail.

In the July letter, Ragusa told her friend she was "very private and simple."

"The media certainly wouldn't be entertained with the real Stephanie," she said.

In an August 2008 letter to her friend, Ragusa said jail has erased the life she had known.

"At times, the idea of returning to my 'normal' life seems more daunting than staying put," she said.

She said her arrest and the subsequent publicity had put a strain on her relationship with her boyfriend.

"I just let everything go," she wrote. "When you're already in the mud, what's the difference if you get a little more dirty?"

Ragusa said her jail stay has strengthened her religious beliefs.

"All I have left is faith," she said.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698.

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