Stephanie Ragusa sentenced today
Stephanie Ragusa, the Tampa teacher who experienced sex with two of her middle school students was sentenced nowadays. Appearing just before Circuit Judge Chet Tharpe in Hillsborough County, Stephanie Ragusa was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentence may be met with distinct reactions across the Tampa Bay area.
Whilst some in Tampa have mentioned they felt the sentence was appropriate, other people compared it to the case of Debra LaFave, who was discovered guilty of possessing sex having a middle school student and was given residence arrest. There was no debating how Judge Tharpe viewed Stephanie Ragusa’s actions, however.
In court today, Judge Tharpe stated, “You were a teacher. And as parents, we place our trust in teachers to provide a safe environment in which our children can learn. You violated that trust in the worst imaginable way. You preyed on these young boys…”
The father of one of Stephanie Ragusa’s victims had mentioned previously that he believed Stephanie was crazy. Judge Tharpe addressed Stephanie’s behavior during her court appearances throughout the case, as Stephanie frequently appeared smiling and seemingly enjoying herself.
“You had a very lackadaisical attitude on your face, smiling, jovial. If I had to sum up your attitude in one word, it would be arrogance. I don’t know as we stand here today that you truly appreciate the harm that you caused. I honestly believe, Ms. Ragusa, that you are a sexual predator. And I honestly believe that you are a danger to children in our community.”
Additionally for the 10 year prison sentence, Stephanie Ragusa was also sentenced to 15 years of sex offender probation.
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