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Students arrested on sex charges

Two 16-year-old boys are accused of skipping school to have sex with a 15-year-old girl, even though the acts were consensual.

SPRING HILL - Two Springstead High School students were being held at a juvenile detention center Tuesday after they were accused of skipping school and having consensual sex with a 15-year-old schoolmate this summer, authorities said.

The Sheriff's Office began investigating the case after the girl asked a deputy to help her quell rumors being circulated around Springstead High that one of the teens had gotten her pregnant.

According to the sheriff's report, the teenagers skipped second-period on Aug. 27 and took THE Bus, Hernando County's public transportation system, to one of the young men's homes in Spring Hill.

Once there, one of the 16-year-olds and the girl went into a bedroom and engaged in unprotected sex, the report said.

Afterward, the girl and the second young man had sex with a condom on before they all returned to school. The teens' names are being withheld because of their ages and the nature of the allegations.

Because of privacy laws, authorities were unable to say whether the girl was pregnant.

On Tuesday, sheriff's deputies questioned both 16-year-olds, who admitted to having sexual intercourse with the girl, the report said.

Although the sex was consensual, authorities decided to arrest the teens.

Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Joseph Paez said these cases are difficult because of the ages of the victim and the suspects. It also becomes more difficult when the victim of the alleged lewd offense does not fully cooperate with authorities.

Then, the decision to prosecute is made by the State Attorney's Office, Paez added.

"Whether the victim cooperates or not, it is still a violation of Florida law," he said.

The teens were charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a child and were taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Ocala.

- Duane Bourne can be reached at 754-6114. Send e-mail to dbourne@sptimes.com