Byron Noem Faces Allegations of Online Affair and Transition Talks

Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's husband, Byron Noem, faces allegations of engaging in a long-term online relationship with a dominatrix during which he discussed a desire to transition genders, according to text messages and audio recordings obtained by media outlets in April 2026.

The revelations, first detailed in reports from the Daily Mail, center on communications between Byron Noem and Shy Sotomayor, a sex worker from Colorado Springs known professionally as Raelynn Riley. The two allegedly connected on Twitter in 2016, shifting to paid webcam sessions on platforms like Skype and Streammate. Byron Noem reportedly used the alias Jason Jackson and paid thousands of dollars through methods including Amazon gift cards and cash, linked to an email address reading Chrystalballz666. Their interactions paused around 2020, when Kristi Noem became governor of South Dakota, but resumed in October 2025 and intensified into early 2026, overlapping with her tenure at DHS.

In the alleged exchanges dated January 2026, Byron Noem expressed interest in feminization procedures. "I want to be a Crystal so bad. I want to be a woman so bad," he reportedly wrote,...