Patricia Dye, from Franklin, Ohio, cut her hair and used a false name to fool teenage girls into having sex with her, a court heard.

Her case has prompted comparisons to the film Boys Don't Cry, in which Hilary Swank plays a teenage girl who pretends to be a boy and falls in love with another girl.

Prosecutors said Dye dated at least two teenage girls, although charges were only filed in connection with one 16-year-old.

Dye, who is 4ft11 and was using the name Matt Abrams, was arrested in June after the teenager ran away from home and stayed with her.

Bruce McGary, a Warren County prosecutor, said: "This woman victimised a young girl and needed to be punished for her actions. Equally important is that we monitor and make sure that Ms Dye does not have any victims in the future."

The effects on the 16-year-old victim were disclosed in a statement read out in the court, in Lebanon, Ohio.

"I'm even scared to walk my dog," the statement said. "I used to trust people. Now I don't." Dye pleaded guilty to sexual imposition, attempted sexual imposition and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

She was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and receive treatment. She was also ordered not to have contact with the teenager or her family and was classified as a sexual offender. This requires her to register with authorities every six months for the next 15 years.

Dye's lawyer, Rob Kaufman, said his she felt remorse and had "really learned from this experience."