Teacher at Randall Middle School arrested in sex sting

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A Hillsborough County middle school teacher has been suspended after deputies say he offered an undercover officer $150 for sex.

Richard P. Kemper, 50, of Lithia was one of 13 people arrested during an undercover sting targeting those looking for weekend sex through the Internet, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Those men arrested from Thursday through Saturday ranged in age from 33 to 74, the Sheriff's Office said. While most of them were from Lakeland, two other eastern Hillsborough residents were taken into custody as part of the sting.

Thomas D. Castle, 50, of Riverview and Gerald S. Chrethien, 56, of Plant City were both charged with soliciting sex.

As with the others, Kemper, a Randall Middle School teacher, answered a Craigslist ad posted online by undercover detectives, officials say. On Friday night, deputies say, he showed up at a Winter Haven residence and offered a detective $150 for sex.

Kemper was charged with soliciting sex, as well as battery. The latter charge was for touching the undercover officer, deputies say. He was released from the Central County Jail early Saturday after posting $750 bail.

Kemper is listed on the Randall Middle Web site as a sixth-grade geography teacher. He has been employed by the district for a little more than three years, said Stephen Hegarty, Hillsborough County schools spokesman.

"He will be suspended with pay and informed not to report to school," Hegarty said. "The School Board must vote to suspend him without pay and to determine further action."

Though the board meets Tuesday, Hegarty said that he doubted administrators and board members would have enough time to review the case by then.

Chandra Broadwater can be reached at cbroadwater@sptimes.com or (813) 661-2454.

Comments on this article

by tor	Oct 23, 2008 7:45 PM
this mr kemper was always really nice. i'm shocked. his fiance must feel terrible.

by frank	Oct 23, 2008 5:30 PM
breaking news, this just in...people like sex.

by Steve	Oct 22, 2008 10:30 PM
Why does the St pete Times single out pulic education? What about the other tweleve people? These guys were not harming society. They were going with legal adults.

by Lmao	Oct 20, 2008 7:57 PM
He is my little brothers sunday school teacher and he was a susbsitute for me when i went to randal couple years ago

by Dan	Oct 20, 2008 6:33 PM
Do people realize how insane this is??? With all the crime and problems in the world, why are we wasting resources on arresting consenting adults for having sex? Who cares!

by DMS	Oct 20, 2008 6:32 PM
This was a victimless crime manufactured by a corrupt law system. It's not as if a minor were involved. Sadly society has devolved into predatory law enforcement tactics.

by Paul	Oct 20, 2008 6:28 PM
I didn't see the AD, but it seems that the officer should be charged also. What does it matter that it was a teacher if no students were involved and he didn't take advantage of his position. Go after the real criminals.

by FreeSpirit	Oct 20, 2008 6:26 PM
What's sad about this is Kemper leads the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Randall Middle School, dates a teacher at Randall Middle School, very active in his church, and talks about the bible in his class at Randall Middle School.

by Bill	Oct 20, 2008 6:25 PM
Maybe it is about time prostitution is legalized and regulated. All of the stings in the world does not stop prostitution. It is legal is most of western Europe and Latin America. Worlds oldest profession.

by Diane	Oct 20, 2008 6:24 PM
What are the occupations of the other 12 suspects arrested? Does it matter if your doctor or CPA wanted a prostitute?

by A Shame	Oct 20, 2008 6:20 PM
It's a shame that the police have so much extra time on their hands that they set up sting operations. Meanwhile, drugs are being sold, houses broken into and people are shot and killed. Give the guy a break. He is not a criminal.

by Kim	Oct 20, 2008 6:20 PM
I happen to know Mr. Kemper. He's my daughter's geography teacher and a very good one at that. I don't consider an adult contacting another adult for sexual relations. What goes on between consenting adults is between them. Regardless of profession,

by Kim	Oct 20, 2008 6:17 PM
continued....we all have our vices, our "perversions" if you will. If prostitution was legal, we wouldn't have these issues. We have far worse issues in our society than two consenting adults exchanging money for sex.

by lilly	Oct 20, 2008 6:16 PM
The police should also be charged with soliciting as they placed the ad wonder how is read

by diane	Oct 20, 2008 6:13 PM
unless it was for sex with a minor, who cares? having, or wanting to have sex does not disqualify one from teaching. is sting the new word for entrapment?

by Stephen	Oct 20, 2008 5:49 PM
How about articles about the other people that were arrested? Why are teachers held to a different standard than the rest of us?

by James	Oct 20, 2008 1:54 PM
Why don't we just place him on a cross now? Come on, we have many worse problems in our schools than a teacher wishing to have sex with someone of legal age. He made a mistake, but let the punishment fit the crime. Police advertisement for sex???

by Roger	Oct 20, 2008 1:41 PM
What in Gods name is going on with the teachers today ? There isn't a week that goes by, where a teacher is either charged with a sex crime,or convicted of a sex crime. Is this their motivation to teach....to have access to cildren ?

by Nina	Oct 20, 2008 1:40 PM
PERVERT!

by Houston	Oct 20, 2008 1:34 PM
Pervert...wanting to have sex.