TAMPA, Fla. -- A former Hillsborough County teacher arrested last week on charges of probation violation has had the charge dismissed.
- Former teacher Stephanie Ragusa was charged with violation of probation
- Ragusa served time after pleading guilty in 2010 for having sex with students
- She will be released from jail Wednesday
Stephanie Ragusa, 39, was in court Tuesday for a hearing that she violated her probation for taking pictures with a friend's 12-year-old daughter in a Clearwater Beach restaurant.
A judge dismissed the violation Tuesday, and she'll be released Wednesday.
Ragusa made news in the Bay area in 2010 when she pleaded guilty to having sex with teen students. Ragusa taught at Davidsen Middle School in Tampa when she had sex with students aged 14 and 16.
She served six years in prison on lewd and lascivious battery charges and was released in 2016.
Ragusa reported the recent incident to her probation officer. Her probation prohibits any contact with minors unless approved by the court. She was arrested July 19.
Judge Nick Nazaretian said Ragusa had done some "good things" with her probation but made clear she must have no contact with minors.
"I do realize that you've done some good things with your probation. You've completed the treatment program," the judge said.
"(The court order) says no contact with children. You need to focus on that among your other conditions. Do you understand?" Nazaretian asked.
Ragusa said yes.
Hillsborough Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Johnson said the state was "unable to proceed with the violation due to it not being legally sufficient at this time."
"Our understanding is she did not know the child was going to be there," Johnson said. "That it was simply a surprise that she was there and when she learned that the child was going to present, she attempted to remove herself after the photograph was taken and she remained in a different area of the restaurant."