Alyssa Ann Zinger, a 25-year-old woman from suburban Tampa, Florida, has returned to headlines after her father publicly defended her in a New York Post interview published Jan. 30, 2026, claiming she is “mentally defective” and the “real victim” in the child sex abuse case against her.
Zinger faces multiple felony charges stemming from allegations that she posed as a 14-year-old homeschooled teenager on social media platforms to engage in sexual acts with at least five middle-school-age boys between November 2023 and April 2024. Prosecutors allege she participated in dozens of encounters with the victims, who were ages 12 to 15, including at least 30 sexual acts with the first boy identified. Authorities also accuse her of sending explicit photos and videos, possessing and transmitting child pornography via electronic devices, and committing sexual cyber harassment.
She was first arrested by Tampa police in November 2023 on initial charges of lewd or lascivious battery and molestation. Additional victims came forward in April 2024, leading to expanded felony counts and a second arrest. A judge denied bond, citing her as a danger to the community, and she has remained in jail since then. Her trial is scheduled to begin May 26, 2026. She has pleaded not guilty.
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In the recent New York Post article, Zinger’s father, Josh Zinger, described his daughter as having grown up in a “good Christian home” but struggling with multiple mental health conditions, including ADHD, ADD, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome, anorexia, and an IQ score of 72. He has visited 10 to 12 psychologists and psychiatrists over the years, he said.
Josh Zinger argued that Florida law protects “mentally defective” individuals from sexual exploitation regardless of age, positioning his daughter as the victim rather than the perpetrator. He alleged the initial boy—whom he referred to derogatorily as “the little bastard”—knew her real age, seduced her, took her virginity, and harbored her for months while introducing her to friends who participated knowingly. He dismissed the boys’ accounts and predicted the case would be overturned in court, with no sex offender registration and minimal punishment.
The father also claimed his daughter has faced mistreatment in jail, including foreign objects in her food.
The allegations have drawn widespread attention since the initial arrest, with court records and police statements emphasizing the deceptive online persona used to target minors attending schools such as Wilson Middle School in Tampa’s Hyde Park area. The case highlights ongoing concerns about adult predators using social media to impersonate minors.
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