Current:Home > ContactFlorida woman charged with sex crimes after posing as student on Snapchat: Tampa Police -AssetVision
Florida woman charged with sex crimes after posing as student on Snapchat: Tampa Police
View
Date:2025-04-15 21:31:42
A Florida woman faces several sex crime charges after police say she started a relationship with a minor after posing as a student online.
The Tampa Police Department announced in a Friday press release that Alyssa Zinger, 22, was arrested on Nov. 24 following an investigation into a relationship with a boy between 12 and 15 years old.
Police believe there could be other victims.
“It is disturbing and unsettling to see an adult take advantage of a child and prey on them,” said Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw. “Anyone who may have been a victim of Zinger’s, we encourage you to come forward."
Zinger has been charged with two counts of lewd or lascivious battery (engage) and five counts of lewd, lascivious molestation of a victim aged 12-15 by a defendant older than 18. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is out on bail. Zinger's attorney did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's emailed request for comment Monday morning.
Police say Zinger posed as a homeschooled student online
Tampa Police say Zinger pretended to be a homeschooled student online and primarily communicated with the minor boy through social media, according to the release.
A search warrant obtained by the Tampa Bay Times said that Zinger contacted the child over Snapchat and had a sexual relationship with him. She also pretended to be 14 years old, according to another incident described in the warrant.
The victim told police during the investigation they engaged in a sexual relationship between late May and mid-September, according to the Times. The victim said he received sexually explicit photos and videos during that time, the Times reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call Tampa Police at 813-231-6130.
Other Florida news:Florida police officer charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment of tourist
veryGood! (71)
Related
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- The Warming Climates of the Arctic and the Tropics Squeeze the Mid-latitudes, Where Most People Live
- Why Tom Holland Is Taking a Year-Long Break From Acting
- Police Treating Dakota Access Protesters ‘Like an Enemy on the Battlefield,’ Groups Say
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 83-year-old man becomes street musician to raise money for Alzheimer's research
- Ahead of the Climate Summit, Environmental Groups Urge Biden to Champion Methane Reductions as a Quick Warming Fix
- Louisville’s Super-Polluting Chemical Plant Emits Not One, But Two Potent Greenhouse Gases
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Czech Esports Star Karel “Twisten” Asenbrener Dead at 19
Ranking
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Katherine Heigl Addresses Her “Bad Guy” Reputation in Grey’s Anatomy Reunion With Ellen Pompeo
- Keystone Pipeline Spills 383,000 Gallons of Oil into North Dakota Wetlands
- Power Plants on Indian Reservations Get No Break on Emissions Rules
- Small twin
- Louisville Zoo elephant calf named Fitz dies at age 3 following virus
- U.S. Wind Power Is ‘Going All Out’ with Bigger Tech, Falling Prices, Reports Show
- 4 dead after small plane crashes near South Carolina golf course
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
Jennifer Aniston Enters Her Gray Hair Era
How did each Supreme Court justice vote in today's student loan forgiveness ruling? Here's a breakdown
5 Ways Trump’s Clean Power Rollback Strips Away Health, Climate Protections
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
Heather Rae El Moussa Claps Back at Critics Accusing Her of Favoring Son Tristan Over Stepkids
Few Southeast Cities Have Climate Targets, but That’s Slowly Changing
New Details About Kim Cattrall’s And Just Like That Scene Revealed