HOUSTON -- A Houston police officer who has been living a secret life decided to share it with his fellow officers -- he is having a sex change operation and wants to remain on the force, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.

Sgt. Jack Oliver has been with HPD for nearly 25 years. He works out of the Fondren Division.

Oliver made one of the toughest decisions of his life this week -- to tell his supervisors of his decision to become a woman.

Four months ago, Oliver began therapy and began taking hormone treatments, so his appearance is changing.

"If I was injured on duty and medical treatment was given on the scene, the department and officers would find out that way and I didn't think that was fair," he said.

The deciding factor to announce his decision came when a fellow officer threatened to expose him.

"They are one of the people that totally disagree with what I'm doing and that's fine. I respect their decision," Oliver said.

He said that he has been confused about his sexuality since he was 3 years old. He tried to ignore his feelings for most of his life. He got a divorce after 27 years of marriage and has five children.

Oliver said writing unpublished poems and books under the name he will eventually take -- Julia -- was his only outlet.

"It was a way of expressing and dealing with those feelings for many years," he said.

Although he has made the decision to become a woman, legally he is still a man, which has put his life into a state of flux.

"There are a lot of people who know me as Julia. And there are a lot of people who know me as just Jack. And there are some people that know me as both and that's how I let it go," Oliver said. "It's hard to deal with. It's very confusing when there's no information and for most of your life, there's no place to get information or to turn."

No matter which name he uses, Oliver said there is one thing in his life that will not change -- he intends to remain a Houston police officer.

"I just felt that I had a right to do my job, which I believe very strongly in and to be who I am," he said.

Oliver plans to discuss his decision with all of the officers at the Fondren Division during roll call next week.

HPD did not comment on Oliver's situation and only said it strives to do what is best for the officer as well as the department as a whole, and there are laws to guide them.

Oliver's surgery is planned for next year.

Oliver said he will be the fifth officer in Texas to undergo a sex-change, and the 39th in the country.