Florida woman, 22, is accused of posing as 14 year-old SCHOOLGIRL ‘to groom then molest boy as young as 12 30 times’
- Alyssa Ann Zinger, 22, was taken into custody after allegedly posing as a homeschooled teenager and having a sexual relationship with a teenager
- Officials believe she also sent explicit photos and videos to additional children
- The victim told police that the suspect had abused other boys between the ages of 13 and 15 in the past
A 22-year-old Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly posing as a 14-year-old and having a sexual relationship with a teenager who was just 12 years old.
Alyssa Ann Zinger was taken into custody after claiming she posed as a homeschooled teenager to contact the victim on Snapchat before allegedly having a sexual relationship with him.
Officials with the Tampa Police Department believe Zinger also sent explicit photos and videos to additional children at one of the Hillsborough County Schools in Tampa.
She has been charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between the ages of 12 and 15. The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Alyssa Ann Zinger, 22, was taken into custody after allegedly posing as a home-schooled teenager, contacting the victim via Snapchat and having a sexual relationship with him
Court records show Zinger waived her right to arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
She was released from the Orient Road jail on Nov. 24, a day after her arrest, and posted $7,500 bail on each second-degree felony count, records show.
According to search warrants, Zinger and the victim met via Snapchat in late May 2023. Until their breakup in September, the victim thought she was 14 years old.
The police were informed of the relationship in October.
After officials interviewed the victim, it was revealed that the suspect engaged in sexual activity with him approximately thirty times and told him that she had abused other boys between the ages of 13 and 15 in the past.
Court records show Zinger waived her right to an arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charges
She was released from the Orient Road Jail on Nov. 24, a day after her arrest, and posted $7,500 bail on each second-degree felony count, records show.
Police are currently looking for other victims.
Chief Lee Bercaw of the Tampa Police Department said, “It is disturbing and disturbing to see an adult taking advantage of and preying on a child.
“Anyone who may have been victimized by Zinger, we encourage you to come forward. The Tampa Police Department will support you and ensure that a predator like Zinger does not cause additional harm to you or others.”
A spokesperson for Hillsborough County Schools said the suspect did not pose as a student on any of their campuses. For the time being, the district is not directly involved in the investigation.
'This didn't happen at our school. But we are pleased that a student felt safe enough to come to an adult on campus to warn them about this person,” said district spokesperson Tanya Arja. “Our staff immediately contacted police so they could begin an investigation.”
Chief Lee Bercaw of the Tampa Police Department said, “It is disturbing and disturbing to see an adult taking advantage of and preying on a child.”
In July, the suspect and victim were also caught shoplifting from Nordstrom at International Plaza and Bay Street.
She identified herself to an officer by her real name, but said she was born in 2009. The officer was unable to find any information about her with the 2009 birth date she provided, but found an Alyssa Ann Zinger, born in 2001.
She told the officer she had a half-sister with the same name. But after the relationship came to light, employers at a Tampa Publix where Zinger worked also confirmed that she was an adult.
A trial date has not yet been released.