CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A convicted sex offender is accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping transgender woman at a downtown Cleveland homeless shelter.

Paris McCrary, 50, is charged with gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. McCrary is being held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on $50,000 bond after his first court appearance on Wednesday.

The incident happened about 4:30 a.m. Monday at the Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry's Men's Shelter at 2100 Lakeside, Ohio's largest homeless shelter.

The 31-year-old transgender woman, who said in an interview with cleveland.com that she identifies as a woman, was sleeping at the shelter after being kicked out of the home where she was staying with her ex-girlfriend and daughter.

She said she had two choices for homeless shelters in the city: The men's shelter at 2100 Lakeside or the Norma Herr Women's Shelter that allows transgender women.

Norma Herr, the only county-funded women's homeless shelter, has a reputation for being a poorly-run facility, the woman said. The shelter switched management from Frontline Services to the Young Women's Christian Association in March.

The woman also said that transgender women are treated cruelly by the other women who stay at Norma Herr.

"Women there are so cruel," she said. "They treat all transgender people, not with physical attacks, but verbal attacks. That's why there's so many transgender people at the 2100 shelter. The men down there are generally more open. But then there's the chance of physical attacks at that shelter."

The woman said that she awoke to McCrary sexually assaulting her, according to court records. McCrary, who was also staying at the shelter, was seated on the edge of her bed with his pants around his ankles, according to police reports.

McCrary groped the woman's groin, then tried to rip her fishnet stockings, according to police reports and court records. She woke up and scared McCrary, she said.

McCrary grabbed his pants, ran back to his bed and pretended to be asleep, police reports say. The woman notified a shelter supervisor and called police, who questioned McCrary and arrested him, police reports say.

The woman said she's afraid to go back to the shelter after the attack. She said she's looking for work and is struggling to get back on her feet after the incident.

"It was wrong, sick, disgusting," she said. "It was truly terrifying. Every time I pass a man on the street I'm scared."

She said the shelter didn't do enough to protect her and doesn't feel safe going back.

2100 Lakeside spokeswoman Jessica Starr said in a statement that safety is the shelter's top priority. She said monitors check the dorms every 15 minutes and that common areas have monitors and video surveillance.

Starr also said they banned McCrary from the shelter.

"LMM is disheartened to hear of the allegations and we will continue to show our support for the resident who filed the report," Starr's statement said. "Our social services agency is committed to supporting and being responsive to the needs of the LGBTQ community and regularly provide staff training to aid in the safety of our transgender residents."

McCrary has several felony convictions dating back to 1982, when he was convicted of raping a woman at gunpoint and robbing her in Bedford. He was sentenced to between seven and 25 years in prison.

He has also been convicted of robbery, drug possession escape and failing to register his address as a sex offender.

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