Multiple U.S. Men Charged With Raping Minors in Separate Cases

Multiple cases of sexual assault involving minors have been reported across the United States recently. In Florida, Derrick Zinnerman, 18, was charged with raping a 12-year-old girl at a church, where he had been pursuing her on social media despite her lack of consent. In Ohio, Mark Lerner, 44, faces four counts of rape for abusing a girl between ages 13 and 17 over a four-year period and fled to Indiana before his arrest. An Erie man admitted to raping and sexually assaulting his daughter repeatedly over several years, facing multiple felony charges. In North Carolina, Roberto De La Cruz Mendez, 42, was charged with indecent liberties and statutory rape involving a child, with one charge related to a 2023 incident. Lastly, in Indiana, Orlando Thomas, 60, was charged with raping a 15-year-old girl, with evidence including a video recorded by the victim; he is being held without bond and faces up to 30 years in prison.