Teen arrested for sexual assault mocked for sobbing in his mugshot

Posing for a mugshot is not one of life’s happier moments.

But 19-year-old Anthony J. Zingale of Wisconsin sobbed like a baby in his mugshot – and he looks like a baby, too, the court of public opinion has ruled.

Zingale was charged with first degree sexual assault over the Memorial Day weekend after drinking at a house party in Plymouth, Wisconsin and allegedly threatening to cut a woman if she didn’t have sex with him, according to the Sheboygan Press.

Zingale’s mother was at the same party.

“I for one can’t believe someone who would allegedly be so tough and mean would also cry like a week-old infant after being arrested!” jeered a Jezebel writer.

“How embarrassing and yet extremely fitting!”

According to the police report, a man called 911 shortly before 11 p.m. on May 28 to report that Zingale had tried to sexually assault his wife at the party.

When police got to the house, Zingale immediately put his hands behind his back to be arrested, the report says. He told police he had been drinking and was underage.

The man’s wife said she was in a bathroom when Zingale came in holding a knife and allegedly fully exposed from the waist down. She said he pressed the knife to her neck and threatened to cut her if she didn’t have sex with him.

She told police she was able to get away from him by saying they could go to the bedroom, then she screamed for help.

In Zingale’s version of what happened, he said he really had to go to the bathroom but was embarrassed that a woman was also in there. He said when he dropped his pants the woman grabbed for a knife he had taken into the bathroom with him.

It didn’t take long for Zingale’s weepy mugshot to find its way into internet infamy.

“Alleged Rapist Cries in Mug Shot Because Raping Is Hard Work,” wrote The Blemish.

“Would-be teen rapist bawls for his mugshot after threatening to assault woman in bathroom,” wrote Raw Story.

Uproxx also ran the mugshot with a headline that says “This teen sobbing in his mugshot is crying big salty crocodile tears after being arrested for attempted rape.”

“The Wisconsin man pictured in the above mugshot ... is very sad. And he should be!” Uproxx wrote, noting that Zingale’s side of what happened “makes it sound like it was all just a big mix-up straight out of a sitcom like Curb Your Enthusiasm or what have you.”

Zingale faces up to 40 years in prison for sexual assault and for carrying a concealed weapon.

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Teen arrested for sexual assault mocked for sobbing in his mugshot."