(10/29/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)

Stephen Brian Turner, 43, a journalism, television production and digital design teacher at Fernandina Beach High School in Fernandina Beach, Florida has reportedly been arrested on allegations unlawful sexual activity with a minor in what authorities described as a two-year relationship with the 17-year-old female student.

Turner is reportedly charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor, child abuse, showing obscene material to a minor, providing alcohol to a person younger than 21 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Detectives obtained and executed search and arrest warrants on Wednesday and discovered that Turner had cleaned and abandoned his Fernandina Beach residence. Investigators found Turner at his parents’ house in Jacksonville on Thursday and arrested him with the assistance of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The alleged victim has reportedly told investigators that the relationship started two years ago and that the two began a sexual relationship a year ago and that during the relationship that he bought her a cell phone and jewelry.

Turner was booked into the Duval County jail and ordered held on $260,010 bond.

A school system spokesperson indicated that Turner was suspended from work with pay on October 12 after the school and district were made aware of the investigation and that Turner was suspended without pay on October 22nd.

(3/13/08 – Initial BBT Report)

Stephanie Marie Ragusa, 28, a former teacher at Davidsen Middle School in Tampa, Florida has been arrested and charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery on allegations of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.

It is alleged that Ragusa had a sexual relationship with the boy and that she had sex with him five times between Oct. 1, 2006 to May 4, 2007.

The alleged victim was never a student of Ragusa, although he attended Davidsen Middle School when Ragusa taught there.

Ragusa who currently works as a math teacher at Martinez Middle School in Lutz, Florida has been placed on paid administrative leave.

In the wake of her arrest, Ragusa was being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail. A bond hearing has been set for March 19th.

Investigators now say that Ragusa performed oral sex on the boy twice, and allegedly had intercourse with him three other times. It is further alleged that the victim was also able to describe tattoos located on either side of Ragusa’s groin, tattoos which could only be seen if she wasn’t wearing clothes.

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08/14/08 – Initial BBT Report)

Joel Matthew Cupp, 29, a teacher at Trinity Oaks Elementary School in New Port Richey, Florida has been arrested on allegations of solicitation on the Internet of someone he thought was a child.

It is alleged that Cupp thought that he was communicating online with three young teenage girls. It is further alleged that Cupp also exposed himself multiple times over a web cam to the “girls”. The “girls” were in reality two different undercover investigators with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and one with the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit.

According to a press release by the office of the Florida Attorney General:

The investigation was initiated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office which requested assistance from the CyberCrime Unit when the investigators determined Cupp, 29, was located in Pasco County.

The investigation was further coordinated once the investigators realized they were all chatting with the same suspect. A search warrant was executed at Cupp’s New Port Richey residence and Cupp was taken into custody by law enforcement with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and members of the Attorney General’s Tampa Bay CyberCrime Task Force, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Plant City Police Department and the New Port Richey Police Department.

Cupp is the second school teacher arrested by the CyberCrime Task Force this month.

Cupp is charged with three counts of online solicitation and one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition, all third-degree felonies and if convicted of all charges, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

04/03/09 – No Contest Plea and Sentencing

Joel Cupp has reportedly pleaded no contest to three counts of using the Internet to lure children and one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition by a person older than 18 years.

As a result of Cupp’s plea, he was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by six years of probation.

Cupp will also be required to forfeit his teaching license and register as a sex offender.

10/26/09 – More Charges

Joel Cupp, convicted this year of soliciting teenagers over the Internet for sex is facing the same charges in another county.

Cupp was transferred from the state prison in Jackson County to face charges in Martin County, where it is alleged he engaged in lewd and lascivious behavior over the Internet in 2008.

It is alleged that Cupp showed his genitalia to a sheriff’s detective posing as a 14-year-old girl in an Internet chat room in July 2008.

References:

Ex-teacher faces sex charges (10/27/09)

Former Pasco County teacher Joel Cupp gets prison for soliciting child sex (04/04/09)

Tampa CyberCrime Task Force Arrests Elementary School Teacher (08/14/08)

Pasco teacher arrested for online sex crimes (08/14/08)

Trinity Oaks Teacher Charged With Online Soliciting (08/14/08)