A 22-year-old Florida woman was reportedly arrested late last month for posing as a 14-year-old homeschool student to prey on and groom actual children.
“Alyssa Ann Zinger was arrested by Tampa police on Nov. 24 on two counts of lewd and lascivious battery, and five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim who was 12 to 15 years old,” the Tampa Bay Times reported on Saturday.
According to a search warrant reviewed by the Times, posing as a homeschool student, Zinger contacted a Wilson Middle School child between the ages of 12 and 15 on Snapchat and proceeded to not only send him explicit pictures but also engage in “sexual activities” with him “several times.”
“[The] victim told police they had a sexual relationship with Zinger that began in late May and ended in mid-September. The victim stated they engaged in sexual activities several times and that Zinger sent sexually explicit photos and videos,” the Times notes.
“Additionally, Zinger told [the] victim that she previously engaged in sexual activities with other minors,” according to the Times.
Florida woman Alyssa Ann Zinger, 22, arrested for posing as a 14-year-old schoolgirl online to groom, then sexually molest boys, between the ages of 12 and 15. pic.twitter.com/oNvUwBz5yr
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) December 2, 2023
Zinger first drew the authorities’ attention when she and one of her victims — it’s not clear which one — were caught shoplifting at a Tampa Nordstrom store in July.
“Zinger identified herself to an officer using her name, but stated she was born in 2009. The officer could not find information on her with the date of birth she provided, but found an Alyssa Ann Zinger who was born in 2001. Zinger told the officer she had a half-sister with the same name,” the Times notes.
“The officer requested government, school and employment records about Zinger, which showed she was an adult, the warrant states. Later, employers at a Tampa Publix where Zinger worked also confirmed she was an adult,” according to the Times.
Months later, the authorities were reportedly tipped off about Zinger’s child sex crimes. And now that they’ve reportedly found at least one of her victims, they’re on the lookout for more.
“It is disturbing and unsettling to see an adult take advantage of a child and prey on them,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in a statement.
“Anyone who may have been a victim of Zinger’s, we encourage you to come forward. The Tampa Police Department will support you and ensure a predator like Zinger doesn’t cause you or others additional harm,” he added.
Sadly, many grown men have responded to Zinger’s crimes by doing what they always do — wishing they’d been one of the abuser’s victims.
Look:
Where were you when i was a middle skooler
— CoolCat (@CoolCat83089) December 2, 2023
I’d have stood in line at 15 to be victimized like this, just saying.
— TBV (@CanoeBranch) December 2, 2023
She can groom me. I’ll bet she didn’t receive one complaint from the boys. Those damned parents!
— Hank Reisman (@ReismanHank) December 2, 2023
man, how come this stuff never happen to me when I was in high school??? hot teachers that wanna make out with me?
— Bill Lee (@CaiusSixtus) December 2, 2023
I know I’m supposed to say this is bad but my 13-14 year old past self is inside me kicking my own ass and telling me to shut up.
— Arizona Political (@AZVotes) December 2, 2023
Where the HELL were these women in the nineties when I was in middle school?
I grew up in the wrong time period.
— Dick Riggles (@Champtuman) December 2, 2023
— SliceOfHumblePie (@humble_slice) December 2, 2023
According to a USA Today piece published in 2013, this double standard has real consequences.
“It’s a double standard brought by society, experts say, to female sex offenders — one that not only minimizes the victimization of young boys, who are left with lifelong emotional scars, but contributes to lighter sentences for the women involved,” the piece reads.
“In 2005, Florida teacher Debra Lafave, who had a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old boy, received a sentence of house arrest for three years plus seven years probation. In 2010, Beth Modica, a former Rockland County, N.Y., prosecutor who had sex with two underage boys, was released from state prison after spending just 21 months behind bars,” the piece continues.
This is a massive problem, especially since the number of female child sex abusers has been increasing.
“According to the Center for Sex Offender Management, a Department of Justice project, in 1994, less than 1% of incarcerated rape and sexual assault offenders were females, or fewer than 800. By 2006, however, the FBI reported that females accounted for nearly 10% of sex crimes. And studies indicate that women commit approximately 20% of sex offenses against children,” the USA Today piece notes.
Also keep in mind that most abuse incidents are “severely underreported,” according to Curtis St. John, then a spokesperson for MaleSurvivor, a support organization.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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