TAMPA — A Tampa woman accused of posing as a 14-year-old girl while committing child sexual abuse against multiple children will remain jailed until her case is resolved, a Hillsborough judge ruled Monday.
At a hearing on a motion for pretrial detention Monday, prosecutors argued that Alyssa Ann Zinger, 23, is a danger to the community and should not be released on bail. She faces charges related to five juvenile victims.
Amanda Baranowski, a detective with the Tampa Police special victims unit, took the stand Monday and detailed her investigation.
One 14-year-old boy told police he had sex with Zinger 30 times over the course of their relationship, during which Zinger posed as a home-schooled 14-year-old girl. He accused her of cheating on him and ended the relationship, according to text messages shown in court.
A few weeks after they broke up in September, Zinger stopped by the boy’s house asking to charge her cellphone. When he went to the bathroom, Zinger opened his phone and took a video with her cellphone of photos and video of the boy and an underage girl having sex, a search warrant for Zinger’s phone states.
When the boy returned and caught her using his phone, he forced her to leave. He later told Zinger’s father about the incident.
In mid-October, Zinger distributed the video to other minors, police said. The boy told investigators she had been jealous since their relationship ended and that Zinger shared the video to get back at him.
Baranowski said a search of the boy’s phone uncovered photos and videos of he and Zinger engaging in sexual intercourse.
Police issued a warrant for her arrest and Zinger turned herself in to law enforcement 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. Zinger was released from jail later that day after posting bond totaling $52,500.
When questioned by police, Zinger told investigators that she was 14 and had a half sister with her same name. Zinger also told police she left her phone at home when she showed up for booking. Police obtained a search warrant for it at her parents’ home.
When police arrived at the home to collect Zinger’s phone, her father gave officers her mother’s phone instead, Baranowski said.
“We’ve been nothing but honest, truthful and helpful,” her father told police, according to body camera footage shown Monday in court.
Police were unable to recover Zinger’s phone, and instead relied on access to her Apple iCloud. They found a shared folder with multiple photos and videos with explicit sexual content involving her and the 14-year-old boy.
The boy also told authorities Zinger told him that she engaged in sexual activity with three other juveniles.
Police continued to investigate and uncovered four more accusers who said they had sex with Zinger. One 14-year-old met Zinger through TikTok, and they began to talk over Snapchat. When they met in person at Gasparilla, they engaged in sexual contact, Baranowski said.
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Explore all your optionsIn March 2023, Zinger went to a movie theater with another minor and later had sexual contact with the victim at an apartment.
She was arrested again Thursday on two counts of lewd and lascivious battery, two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim between the ages of 12 and 15, and one count each of possession of child p*rnography, transmission of child p*rnography by electronic device and sexual cyberharassment.
Including the charges filed after her November arrest, Zinger now faces a total of 12 counts.
Zinger’s lawyer, Dana Herce-Fulgueira, characterized her client’s behavior as “immature.” She said Zinger suffered from anorexia, bullying and self-esteem issues at a young age. In some family photos, she is missing her eyelashes, which her lawyer said she often pulled out as a result of past emotional issues.
“This is clearly not a typical 22-year-old,” she told the court.
Herce-Fulgueira said Zinger should be allowed to post bail since she has complied with the conditions of her release and hasn’t tried to contact any of her accusers.
“She could have fled,” Herce-Fulgueira said. “She did not. She stayed in Hillsborough County.”
Assistant State Attorney Jessica Couvertier said Zinger’s parents helped “hide evidence of her crimes,” and argued that she would still be a threat to underage boys if she were released under their supervision.
Couvertier did not say whether the state planned to file charges against Zinger’s parents.
Hillsborough Circuit Judge Laura Ward sided with the state.
“The bottom line is you are a risk — and have been — based on your behavior to young boys in the community,” she said to Zinger.
Zinger, sitting at the defense table, shook her head multiple times while prosecutors laid out evidence against her. Because Zinger’s crimes involved multiple victims and showed a pattern of abuse, Ward said she felt “grave concern” about releasing her.
“You are manipulating, taking advantage of these young boys. And you are the adult in this situation.” Ward said. “You don’t really seem to grasp the problem here. You are the problem here.”
