TAMPA, Fla. — The woman accused of posing as a teen to prey on middle school boys will remain in jail until her trial.
On Monday, a Hillsborough County judge ordered that Alyssa Zinger be held without bond.
The 23-year-old Tampa woman now faces additional charges for posing as a homeschooled minor and having sex or sharing explicit images with as many as five middle school students.
Zinger had been staying with her parents since November when she was originally charged, but prosecutors say there's evidence that in trying to help their daughter, the 23-year-old's mother and father may have interfered with the investigation.
“You show no regard for the safety of the community. You showed no regard for the safety of these young boys,” Judge Laura Ward said, speaking directly to Zinger during her court appearance on the new charges.
Judge Ward called Zinger an ongoing threat.
Zinger is accused of posing online and in person as a 14-year-old homeschool student to allegedly lure and have sex with teenagers.
“You have been praying on them. You have been taking advantage of them,” Judge Ward said. “You've been abusing them.”
The detective in the case identified text messages and videos where Zinger claimed to be a teenager. Police later interviewed those who said they had engaged in sex acts with her, believing she was their own age.
Her defense lawyers say since her initial arrest, Zinger has not violated the terms of her release. They also pointed to a history of mitigating mental problems.
“A child, who, as growing up, had significant developmental issues, emotional issues, self-esteem issues, bullying issues,” Zinger’s lawyer said.
But prosecutors said that was no excuse, arguing, “Nothing about that gives rise to any basis for this woman to misrepresent her age to pretend to be a homeschooled child to cultivate and pursue child victims for her own sexual gratification.”
Since her initial arrest in November, Zinger had been living with her parents.
But prosecutors provided evidence that to protect their daughter, Zinger's mother and father may have intentionally provided police with the wrong cell phone rather than the one which was believed to have contained damaging images and text messages.
With that, Judge Ward ordered Zinger be held without bond, have no contact with the alleged victims and no access to electronics that could facilitate it.
“You are the problem here,” the judge told Zinger. “Your actions on these boys are illegal.”
Tampa police have not ruled out the possibility there may still be more charges forthcoming.