Anyone can pretend to be anyone on the internet. And social media fueled this, as many users try to be and look as best as possible, for different goals and purposes.
And apparently, social media also made people to not be themselves.
A woman from Florida, is found pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, while she is in fact a 22-year-old woman.
She used TikTok and Snapchat, pretending to be a homeschooled girl.
Her purpose, is to have sexual relationship.
Alyssa Ann Zinger was arrested in Tampa on November 24th for sexually assaulting a boy.
But her arrest revealed more than what it seems.
It all began when the police said they were tipped off that Zinger allegedly had a relationship with a child between the ages of 12 and 15.
The age of consent in Florida is 18.
Following a thorough investigation, the police found that she "communicated with the victim primarily through an online social media platform."
After realizing that she used social media platforms popular among teens and alike, the police found that at least, she had one relationship that allegedly spanned from May through September.
During that time, Zinger allegedly sent explicit sexual content to the minor, and even "engaged in sexual activities several times" with him.
The police that obtained a warrant, stopped Zinger and a minor after they tried to steal from a Nordstrom store over the summer.
At the time, Zinger identified herself to an officer using her real name, but stated she was born in 2009.
Claiming to be underage, Zinger hoped she would fool the police.
Unlike adults, children’s identities are less likely to be associated with criminal activities. What's more, the police don't typically maintain updated and thorough records of underage individuals.
But the police who looked up for her name with the date-of-birth she provided, could only find one Alyssa Ann Zinger.
And she was born in 2001.
But Zinger was unable to verify her lie, since she didn't have any supporting documents or information to make her 'legally' a teen.
She allegedly tried to keep up her facade, and told the police in a desperate attempt at deception, she she had a half-sister with the same name.
But since the police had already been investigating Zinger for about a year, according to the warrant, the officer would not believe anything she says.
When she was questioned, it's confirmed that she was indeed an adult.
This was also confirmed by Zinger's employer, the grocery chain Publix.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released from jail on the day of her arrest after posting the $7,500 bond on each of her second-degree felony charges.
But the police didn't believe this was an isolated incident, and encouraged whoever was a victim to Zinger to come forward.
"There are believed to be additional victims," Tampa police said.
"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."
Following this, multiple victims, who attended Wilson Middle School in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood, told police they believed the Zinger was their age but was homeschooled.
In the end, Zinger is found to be a predator.
Upon further investigation and questioning, Zinger later admitted that she had other illegal sexual encounters as well, more than what she was originally accused of.
In her predatory acts, she allegedly initiated a sexual relationship with one of the victims, and that the pair had sexual intercourse multiple times.
She also sent her video having coitus to several other children through Snapchat.
Zinger allegedly admitted to also molested other minors, where she engaged is some other forms of sexual activities other than intercourse with them.
The Florida woman who posed online as a 14-year-old girl to meet and molest a teenage boy has been hit with additional charges, officials said.
She was then arrested for the second time, and charged with additional sex crimes with minors after more victims came forward.
In the end, including the charges filed after her November arrest, Zinger faces a total of 12 counts for allegedly engaging in at least 30 sexual acts with at least one student, and sending explicit videos to several more.
