Teacher accused of sex with student

By LEANORA MINAI, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 2, 2002

Investigators say Michael R. Josapak, 28, a teacher at St. Petersburg High School, had sex with a 16-year-old student who had run away from home.

ST. PETERSBURG -- A teacher at St. Petersburg High School was arrested Thursday on charges of having sex with a 16-year-old student.

Michael R. Josapak, 28, invited the girl to spend several nights with him at his apartment, 14120 Palm St. in Madeira Beach, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said he had sex with the student, who had run away from home, on Tuesday and on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18. Students alerted the St. Petersburg Police Department, which turned the investigation over to the sheriff's office because Josapak lives outside the city.

Josapak, a social studies instructor and girl's softball coach, has worked for Pinellas County schools since 1999. He is on paid administrative leave pending the three felony counts of unlawful sex with a minor.

High school principal Linda Benware wrote a letter to parents Friday, but the letter did not name the teacher or explain the circumstances surrounding the criminal charges.

"We are proud of the fact that our students were responsible enough to notify our staff and raised this incident to our attention," Benware wrote. "I want to commend our young people for the cooperation and assistance they have given us as we deal with a sensitive issue such as this one."

Ron Stone, spokesman for the school board, would not discuss the allegations.

"This is definitely an isolated incident, not that it makes it any less important," Stone said.

Josapak received favorable remarks on his 2000 evaluation.

He is in the Pinellas County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bail.

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