Florida Woman, 22, Posed as Homeschooled Teen to Sexually Abuse Underage Boy: Cops

News By TooFab Staff |
TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT

She allegedly told the victim at the center of the case that she had other sexual encounters with boys around his age "prior to and through the course of their relationship."

A 22-year-old woman in Florida has been charged with sexually abusing at least one minor, who allegedly believed she was a 14-year-old girl who was homeschooled.

According to the Tampa Police Department, Alyssa Zinger was arrested on November 24, following "tips provided to detectives of Zinger’s inappropriate relationship with a male victim between the ages of 12 and 15." She's been charged with two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a defendant over 18 of a 12-15-year-old victim, both felonies.

"Based on the investigation, Zinger made contact with the victim by posing as a home-schooled student online. She communicated with the victim primarily through an online social media platform," said police in a release.

According to a search warrant obtained by Law&Crime, Snapchat was their primary form of communication.

The investigation into Zinger began on October 19, after Zinger allegedly sent a sexually explicit video to a number of "minor children," depicting intercourse involving the victim. Per the search warrant, one middle school girl interviewed as part of the investigation said she and the primary victim "engaged in a willful sexual act," which Zinger allegedly recorded off the girl's cell phone using her own phone's camera.

Classmates who received the video said it was sent to them through Snapchat by someone with the user name "alyssazingerr." The boy, meanwhile, told investigators he and Zinger engaged in sexual contact around 30 times -- and claimed she told him she did the same with other minors "prior to and through the course of their relationship," which reportedly lasted from the end of May through mid-September.

The warrant also notes Zinger and the victim were caught shoplifting in July, with Zinger reportedly saying at the time she was 14, before claiming she had a half-sister who was eight years older than her with the same name.

"It is disturbing and unsettling to see an adult take advantage of a child and prey on them," said Chief Lee Bercaw in a statement, with the police department saying they believe there are additional victims. "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."

Zinger entered a not guilty plea and, according to her attorney -- via FOX 13 in Tampa -- she'll be arraigned in the next few weeks.