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
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      7 months 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

      • Franklin@lemmy.world
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        7 months 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.

      • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        7 months 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.

    • Ann Archy@lemmy.world
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      7 months 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
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        7 months ago

        Upvote this reply if you hate cancer!

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

      • tegs_terry@feddit.uk
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        7 months ago

        Jokes, too, people need to rationalise that aspect. rape jokes can be hilarious

          • tegs_terry@feddit.uk
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            7 months ago

            I think there’s been a rape up there!

            David Brent - The Office (S01E01)


            If they catch us, they will rape us!

            Dwight Schrute - The Office US (S05E03)


            I could rape him… I’m not going to rape him

            Jeremy - Peep Show (S03E03)


            Jeremy: Mark’s a little bit down in the dumps. He’s been raped.

            Mark: I have not been raped. a woman just continued to have sex with me after i said “no”.

            Super Hans: sounds like rape to me, mark, classic case.

            Mark: She didn’t put anything up my bum.

            Super Hans: No-one said it was bum rape, mark.

            Peep Show (S05E04)


            Roger the Alien: This is getting ridiculous. You want me to walk you home again?

            Jeff Fischer: [pushes him away] It didn’t help last time!

            [Jeff leaves]

            Roger the Alien: Jeez, just trying to help the kid out.

            [Jeff slams the door, Roger stretches and cracks his knuckles]

            Roger the Alien: I’m gonna rape him this time.

            American Dad! (S08E05)


            RAPE! RAPE! RAAPE! This white boys got his hands all over my beautiful brown baahday

            Dee Reynolds - It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (S08E02)


            Hedley Lamarr : Qualifications?

            Applicant : Rape, murder, arson, and rape.

            Hedley Lamarr : You said rape twice.

            Applicant : I like rape.

            Blazing Saddles (1979)


            Captain Red: [Holds down girl] Frog, boy!

            Frog: What, captain?

            Captain: Rrrrrape!

            Pirates (1986)


            Emma Watson: [Holding an axe] Back the f*** up!

            James Franco: I’m not gonna shoot Emma Watson!

            Emma Watson: Give me everything you have to drink!

            Seth Rogen: There are six of us! You cannot rob us!

            Emma Watson: [waving an axe] I’m NOT f***ing around!

            [Emma leaves]

            Danny McBride: Hermione just stole all of our sht. And Jay suggested that we rape her. I think the only reason he did that is because he knows he’s about two minutes away from becoming the house btch himself.

            This is the End (2013)


            Kevin: Hey Creed! Check this out! Ninjutsu lessons! No one’s raping me!

            Creed: Oh I don’t want to get raped! 120 dollars.

            Kevin: No! That was my idea to not be raped!

            The Office US (S08E22)

          • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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            7 months 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
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              7 months 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
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        7 months 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
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        7 months 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.

  • leaky_shower_thought@feddit.nl
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    7 months ago

    Thank you, florida woman.

    Florida man has been dominating the eccentric-wild news segment but I see you have stepped up for the cause.

  • mateomaui@reddthat.com
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    7 months ago

    The Tampa Bay Times reports that police stopped Zinger and a minor after they tried to steal from a Nordstrom store over the summer. “Zinger identified herself to an officer using her name, but stated she was born in 2009. The officer could not find information on her with the date of birth she provided, but found an Alyssa Ann Zinger who was born in 2001,” the article said.

    Not at all the brightest bulb there.

      • mateomaui@reddthat.com
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        7 months ago

        Well for me it’s not that she provided her real name, as much as she was stealing with a minor to get questioned to begin with, and then provided a fake birthdate with the real name, which automatically made it more suspicious and weird than it already was.

  • Red_October@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    The part that really confuses me is… wtf is a Homeschooler? Obviously this isn’t a parent teaching their own child in a homeschool setting. Context makes it sound like they advertise as someone who will come teach a child who is being homeschooled… but isn’t that just, you know, a teacher? Who the fuck is going to all the bother of homeschooling their kid, presumably specifically to keep them from going to a regular school, only to then hire some fucking rando off the internet to do it for them and providing even less accountability and background certainty than even a public school?

      • MayvisDelacour@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Yeah I did too, it tracks since she gave her birth year as 2009 to cops when caught stealing from a store, when investigated she was actually born in 2001. On a side note, God damn people born in the 2000s are becoming adults? When did I get so old? Make it stop!

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      7 months ago

      Actually my godmother does this so I know a bit about it.

      It does sound sort of confusing at first but there’s more than one reason to homeschool someone usually it’s done if the kid requires special handling.

      Useful for when they’re even massively ahead or massively behind other children. It can be helpful in both cases for them not to actually have to be in a class with other kids and that way the lesson can go at whatever pace they’re comfortable with whether that’s accelerated or slowed down.

      Or sometimes they have a medical issue that makes going outside difficult or dangerous.

      Although I have no idea how it would work in this context since she apparently volunteered her services to children who were the wise wouldn’t be to make use of it.

      • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        Another pretty common reason is religious or personal concerns about the school system. I was homeschooled all the way through highschool because my mom was afraid I’d learn gay people exist if I went to real school.

      • Malfeasant@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        Sometimes it’s religious. My daughter was due to start kindergarten at the tail end of COVID lockdowns, so my wife and I were looking at options that didn’t involve her sitting in a room with 20+ kids… There are people that will homeschool small groups of kids, like 5 or so, and the public school system will pay them per kid so there’s no out of pocket cost to the parents. We interviewed with one family, and it was looking like it might be worth doing, they were obviously religious, but not obviously nutjobs, and I’m ok with my kids seeing that religion is out there as long as it’s not being forced on them… But then the mom said those magic words, evolution is “just one theory” and I couldn’t get past that. We ended up enrolling her in an online kindergarten.

    • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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      7 months ago

      Homeschool parents are often mad as a bag of cats.

      They certainly would hire some rando based on a chat about Jesus rather than checking actual qualifications.

    • Krzd@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Homeschooling parents are straight up mad. I remember seeing a post about someone’s parents getting together with other parents to form some sort of ‘homeschooling association’ where they hired definitively-not-teachers to teach a bunch of their kids…

      • sharpiemarker@feddit.de
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        7 months ago

        It’s 50/50 people who wish it was them and people who only hate her because she’s a woman and wouldn’t say a thing if a man had done the same thing. But damn her being attractive, young, and feeeeemale

        I’m all for holding people accountable based on their crimes and not their gender.

      • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        Kinda dudes who are so starved for any show of even platonic affection that they think fuckin’ Yuno Gasai is relationship goals.

        “At least I’d know she likes me!”

  • oldbaldgrumpy@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    The verbage they use to describe the molestation of a child when the victimizer is female is disgusting. This bitch was a devious, calculated child predator. Her acts should not be white washed because she’s a female. Pathetic.

  • treefrog@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    Good! Women who sexually assault men or young men or boys or girls, should be held just as accountable as men.

    I had to explain to my gf, I ask everytime I go down on you. When you go down on me you assume it’s a yes and never ask.

    Men value consent too! And underage boys are not mature enough to consent to having sex with an adult!

    • Eheran@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      If you are partners that is silly. There is no need to ask for permission for everything as if the other is some random person. You both know each other etc. and should you not like it, can speak up. Everything else would be really odd in a partnership.

      • subignition@kbin.social
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        7 months ago

        If they are partners they should be collaborating to set the standards they find reasonable/comfortable and beyond that it’s nobody else’s business.

      • voracitude@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Hey man, if they want their partner to check with them, you have no right to tell them they don’t have a right to it. I personally would have a massive problem with my wife just taking my cock in her mouth without asking. I’m intact, and if it’s before my shower or after a long day there is probably smegma under my foreskin. I do NOT want the woman I love to be getting that in her mouth. It’s disgusting and makes me feel gross.

      • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
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        7 months ago

        Might not be a need for it but it definitely gets some folks hot and bothered when you’re pushing on the boundaries of what you both know you’re comfortable with, plus if it doesn’t work, having asked permission first tends to just lead to a bit of giggling before shifting to something else instead of it being a total mood killer.

        • tegs_terry@feddit.uk
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          7 months ago

          For my money, “would you mind awfully if I administered a spot of cunnilingus” is the bigger mood killer.

          (The money phrase is just rhetoric, I’d never pay for it… again)

      • totallynotarobot@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        How does this person’s sex life affect you in any way, and which part of their comment was asking for your condescending opinion?

        • voracitude@lemmy.world
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          7 months ago

          Whoever is downvoting you for this are short-sighted and selfish idiots. You’re 100% correct: the rules two adults consent to are none of anyone’s business but those adults, and everyone has a right to set their own boundaries.

          • SheeEttin@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Right, but if you bring it up in a discussion forum, expect people to discuss it.

            • voracitude@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Discussion is fine, telling someone their boundaries are “silly” because you personally don’t agree with them is not. It’s condescending, rude, presumptive, and judgemental.

              But these are things you’re clearly okay with so you do you boo 🤡

              • Eheran@lemmy.world
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                7 months ago

                They can do whatever they want. Expecting others to do it too is the silly thing. Partners know each other super well. Not knowing or even ignoring boundaries would be the issue there. Not them being unknown.

                • voracitude@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to say, but everyone should respect their partner’s set boundaries. Respect is part of love so everyone should want to do that for their partner anyway, but respecting someone’s set boundaries no matter who they are is not up for discussion. “No” means “no”.

                  These rules can be and are different for everyone. The only rule that applies to everyone is that everyone gets to set these rules for themselves. I hope that clears things up.

  • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    Should we have an age minimum on being an educational professional? It always seems to be the early 20s fresh outta teaching degree teachers that are mostly responsible for these cases. That teachers with waaaaay too much time spent on job duties that put them in direct interaction with students.

    • Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      7 months ago

      I had a wonderful educational experience with my younger teachers, even had one under 30. I think if we paid teachers more we could also encourage more competition and hold them to higher standards, leading to less tolerance of bad behaviors. Some amount of bad behaviors is gonna turn out to be abuse.

  • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
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    7 months ago

    22-year-old Alyssa Ann Zinger

    If only there was some sort of…idk…witticism or maybe clever turn of phrase I could deploy here

  • Kalash@feddit.ch
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    7 months ago

    Dammit! Where were all these sexed up fake-teachers when I was a kid?

    • interceder270@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      That’s such a good joke.

      I’m glad shows like South Park are willing to shine a light on what too many people are ashamed or afraid to admit.

      • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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        7 months ago

        I introduced my partner to South Park last year (she’s from another country). We were watching an ep that clowned on homosexuality around the first few seasons the other day. I commented on how one can view societal change through the show’s topics, as it has since normalized trans people. South Park is an awesome mirror of USA society.

    • PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee
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      7 months ago

      You’re getting downvoted but genuinely these short form content platforms are a cancer on the internet that need to be regulated into less addictive structures for the sake of everyone’s mental health.

      That and scrapping the fucking algorithms already.

    • Sanyanov@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      Omegle really did have very poor moderation and is responsible for immense amount of child abuse. While I’m in two minds about the decision, it had at least some ground.