Pat Dollard

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LEBANON, Ohio (AP) – Patricia Dye admitted Wednesday that she pretended to be a teenage boy to get close to teen girls.

Just as she was set to go on trial in Warren County Juvenile Court for contributing to the delinquency of a child, sexual imposition and attempted sexual imposition, she entered guilty pleas to all charges.

Prosecutors said Dye, 31, of Franklin, pretended to be a boy to have sexual contact with a 16-year-old Springboro girl. Dye was arrested after the girl ran away from home to be with her.

After Dye changed her plea to guilty on all three charges, the judge sentenced her to 180 days in jail and suspended an additional 90 days on condition that she complete two years on probation and undergo mental health counseling and sex-offender treatment.

Since Dye has already been locked up for three months, that means she will only serve about three more months in jail.

The judge said he only had a maximum of nine months of a potential jail term to work with – and he wanted to withhold some of the jail time as an incentive for Dye to comply with receiving treatment, which he felt he would protect the public more than just sending her away for the maximum term.

Authorities say Dye used the names of Matt Abrams and Matt Lewis, and tried to pass herself off as a teen boy in at least two instances, although no charges were filed in a situation involving a girl from Middletown.

Prosecutors said investigators found no crimes committed even though the Middletown girl believed Dye duped her into believing she was a boy.

Dye was able to carry off the masquerade, authorities say, because of her appearance: a cropped haircut, male-type clothing and her