A Florida woman is facing felony charges for allegedly posing online as a homeschooler to sexually assault an underage boy.

22-year-old Alyssa Ann Zinger was arrested in Tampa on Nov. 24 and taken to jail; she faces two counts of lewd or lascivious battery and five counts of lewd or lascivious molestation. The police do not believe this was an isolated incident.

“It is disturbing and unsettling to see an adult take advantage of a child and prey on them,” 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.”

Police say they were tipped off that Zinger allegedly had a relationship with a child between the ages of 12 and 15, and that following an investigation, they learned that she “communicated with the victim primarily through an online social media platform.”

    • BenPranklin@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      19
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      While that’s definitely what happened often the legal definition of “rape” in a state explicitly requires penetration with a penis. So a lot of things that a normal person would consider rape are classed as sexual assault and have to be reported as such in the media. You can see this in the recent E. Jean Carroll suit against trump. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/07/donald-trump-rape-language-e-jean-carroll

      • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        While that’s definitely what happened often the legal definition of “rape” in a state explicitly requires penetration with a penis. So a lot of things that a normal person would consider rape are classed as sexual assault and have to be reported as such in the media.

        The Department of Justice redefined rape a decade ago. The revised definition includes penetration with any object. I think it would be fine to call an act rape if it meets the federal definition of rape, but does not meet the state definition.

        A man who receives oral sex without his consent or is made to penetrate without his consent would still not qualify as rape under the revised definition however.

      • Franklin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        Every time one of these articles comes up we have the same discussion.

        I understand it’s a sensitive subject for some but the reasoning to avoid calling it rape when you’re a publication is pretty solid.

    • Ann Archy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      1 year ago

      If you call everything rape, the word loses all meaning. Obviously there is a difference between violent physical sexual assault and sending nudes to someone, and ages and context matters.

      You are not being “brave” by pretending that the world is 100% black or white, and it’s getting ridiculous with this echo chamber where everybody is competing over who hates rape the most, it’s fucking childish, talk about the least controversial opinion one could possibly have.

      Like wow, are you against pedophilia too? That is SO very bold of you!

      • XIIIesq@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Upvote this reply if you hate cancer!

        (If you do not upvote you will have bad luck for seven years!)

          • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 year ago

            take a good hard look in the mirror and turn away from whatever the fuck makes you think rape is ok. get a therapist, tell someone about these feelings, and never touch anyone under the age of 20.

            • pete_the_cat@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              You clearly don’t understand what statutory rape is. If a 16 year old and an 18 year old have consensual sex the younger person’s parents can claim SR even though there wasn’t any force or coercion involved.

              Educate yourself before you freak out over something you don’t understand.

      • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        This is a third party claiming “rape” aka Statutory Rape.

        statutory what again?

        there’s a huge difference between forceful, painful, traumatizing rape

        if you’re under the impression that so-called “consensual” sex with a child doesn’t traumatize that child then you’re unsalvageable.

      • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        you’re wrong. the victim was age 12-15, while she was 22. Minors cannot consent, it is rape. period. not statutory, not friendly, not “omg romeo and juliet”, it’s rape. Capital R capital Ape.

        You incel clown fuck head.