HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Hillsborough County teacher convicted of having sex with students has been arrested for violating her probation after she reportedly had contact with a minor.
Stephanie Ragusa pleaded guilty in 2010 to three counts of lewd and lascivious battery involving a 14-year-old boy, and two counts of having unlawful sex with a minor involving a 16-year-old student in 2008.
Hillsborough County teacher convicted of having sex with students to be released Wednesday
She was sentenced to 10 years, but was released early in 2016 and placed on probation.
As a condition of that probation, Ragusa was not allowed to have contact with a child under the age of 18.
She was arrested after she admitted to having contact with a 12-year-old girl at a Hooter's on Clearwater Beach in late June. She also "showed a picture" of the two of them together.
Court documents say the 12-year-old girl was the daughter of Ragusa's girlfriend.
The documents are heavily redacted, but mention "on again/off again drama" between Ragusa and someone else.
She also reportedly told authorities she got caught up in the moment and once she realized her situation (that she wasn't supposed to have contact with minors) she distanced herself from the situation and went to the bar. She said she "didn't think at first of the consequences and at the time was in the moment and all going so nice."
Ragusa said in the court documents that she "couldn't just go and leave the girl stranded with no way to get home."
Much of the information is redacted, but the court documents also cite constant drama, domestic issues and alleged drug use in Ragusa's home since the end of April.
She is being held on no bond.
EXCLUSIVE | Stephanie Ragusa speaks from prison in 2010, watch below:
