Woman Molested Child ... When She Was a Man

Susan Elizabeth Rye was writing a book when she was arrested in Utah in January—"a fictional book about incest and the sexual abuse of children," says the Duchesne County prosecutor. Fast forward to yesterday, when Rye, 61, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual abuse for molesting a 5-year-old girl around 1990, the Deseret News reports. In a twist, Rye was living at the time as a man with the name Randall Donald Rye; she now identifies as a woman and changed her name in 2009.

The victim came forward in 2012 after counseling, fearing Rye may have abused other children. A 14-month investigation commenced, ending with Rye's arrest and three charges of child sex abuse; two were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Rye has been ordered to undergo a psychosexual evaluation and remains in jail in advance of an October sentencing hearing. As for the book, her defense attorney says it was meant to "purge inclinations toward behavior outside societal norms." (More weird crimes stories.)