April Fools!-Man Jailed for a Week on Statutory Rape Charge is a Woman

How Fool-hardy Can One Be?

Is it Alexander David Cross, or is it Elaine Ann Cross? Well, it's Elaine Ann Cross these days. But somebody forgot to tell the arresting officer, the booking officer, and the jailers for 10 days. As he, who had been formerly known as Alexander David Cross, well, is now known as Elaine Ann Cross, again, I think.

This person, Cross, had been in the Hamilton County Jail awaiting a court date. After 10 days of not taking a shower, jailers forced the inmate to do so. Surprise! surprise! Officials at the jail found out that Cross was no man at all, but was a woman. "After about ten days in jail they figure out that Alexander David Cross is a female," prosecutor Boyd Patterson said in court. Ms. Cross was immediately "moved to female isolation" upon finding out, the prosecutor went on to say.

Appearing Wednesday in court following the exposure of her real gender, Cross pleaded guilty to the charge of felony statutory rape before Judge Rebecca Stern. At the beginning of the proceeding, Judge Stern asked the defendant,Cross how she should address her, and she said she should be called, "Alex." The Judge approved a plea deal prosecutors made with Cross in obtaining the admission of guilt. Ms. Cross will get a suspended two-year sentence and six years probation.

The charge stems from an alleged sexual encounter with a 15 yr old girl. Prosecutors alleged that Cross and the 15 yr old girl had sexual relations at least three times during the months of June and July, 2006. The prosecutor said Ms. Cross had committed oral sex on the victim. The plea means no jail time will be required if Cross stays out of trouble for six years. Cross must register as a convicted sex offender and have no contact with the teen. The gender designation of male must also be changed to female on Cross' driver's license.