US — Citrus County, Florida.  A 33-year-old whose ‘transgender’ journey was highlighted in the media is now facing charges of Transmitting Harmful Materials to Minors, Unlawful Sexual Activity With Minors, and Lewd And Lascivious Battery after reportedly molesting and exchanging lewd images with underage boys.

Diana Elizabeth Guevara, who is male, was interviewed for a Miami Herald feature in 2017, where he revealed that he cried tears of joy after catching sight of his newly installed breast implants in the mirror.

He went on to make an appearance on “Atrapado en Cuerpo Ajeno” (Trapped in a Foreign Body). On the Miami-based, Spanish-language América TeVé series special, he tearfully recalled the experience that led to his separation from the police force. According to Mr Guevara, while on duty in his patrol car, he suffered a car crash and sustained severe injuries. As a result, Mr Guevara said, he was temporarily wheelchair-bound, and spiralled into a depression that led to suicidality, drug-addiction, and ultimately incarceration.

Law enforcement has now revealed that Mr Guevara has never been a police officer, and has shown a pattern of predatory behavior towards underage children.

A warrant was sworn out for Mr Guevara’s arrest on July 12 after it came to light that he had “manipulated the young victims in this case and then took advantage of them,” Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a statement.

Mr Guevara “was able to foster a relationship with one victim, and identify her next victims through them, showing a pattern of predatory behavior.”

Law enforcement launched an investigation on June 30 after a boy told his mother he had been exchanging nude photos and videos with Mr Guevara via the instant message app Snapchat, and had overheard his friend, another minor, say he had sex with Mr Guevara. The boy’s mother contacted police.

Detective Tony Ricci of the Special Victim’s Unit interviewed two underage teenagers as part of the investigation. The boys said Mr Guevara misrepresented his age as far younger, and they engaged in “sexual activity” with him at his home in Inverness. One victim said Mr Guevara performed a lewd act on him in June. The other said he had indecent contact with Mr Guevara on four occasions.

Mr Guevara was arrested and booked into county jail on $47,000 total bond.

Mr Guevara previously told the Miami Herald that, in 2012, he underwent cosmetic surgery to feminize his appearance at the University of Miami with LGBTQ clinic lead surgeon Dr Christopher Salgado. He had known since third grade that he “ticked differently,” he said. He changed his name to Diana Elizabeth Guevara after asking his mom what she would have named him “if we could reverse all this and I was in your stomach again?”

LGBTQ clinic lead surgeon Dr Salgado resigned from the University of Miami earlier this year after being accused of “mocking transgender patients” on Instagram.