Ex prison officer guilty of possession of CSA images referred to Transgender Case Board

[ArabeIIaScott]

'Tanya Howes, of Netherwood Green in Norwich, has pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child and a separate charge of possessing 100 “grossly offensive” extreme pornographic images and videos.'

Tanya has not yet been sentenced.

'A probation officer told the court: “There needs more time for the report in order for it to be completed to fullness but also our policy dictates that a transgender board needs to be consulted in order for this person to then go on to be sentenced.'

'“It’s about our policy but also making sure the appropriate factors are identified given the nature of the case.”'

'A ban on trans women with male genitalia who are violent or sexual offenders serving sentences in female prisons came into force earlier this year.
Exemptions will only be made in the "most exceptional" cases and with the approval of ministers, the government said.'

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23498059.norwich-trans-woman-indecent-images-children/

Reduxx found that this person used to be a prison officer.

https://reduxx.info/uk-trans-identified-man-pleads-guilty-to-possessing-pornographic-images-of-children/

Seriously hoping that the current ban will hold and no exemption made. There is no way this man should be in a woman's prison.

Putting myself in their size 11s - I'd chop my knob off rather walk into the male estate as an ex screw nonce.

Hm, I hadn't thought of it in that light. I'd imagined that there might be some extra lenience shown as an ex prison officer.

Yet another trans-identified male with paedophilic sexual interests and a liking for 'kink' 🤮

cor, it's almost like there is established evidence for co-morbidity of sexual paraphilias innit?

don't care what this man's job was, he should be in a men's prison

They can be held in the protected wing within the male estate, with the other men who have an unsavoury interest in children

Exemptions will only be made in the "most exceptional" cases and with the approval of ministers, the government said.'

I should imagine the exemptions are for just such a case as an ex prison officer child abuser.

Women suffering because a nonce got caught.

The board is really unlikely to agree that he goes to a womens prison. I have sat on TG boards, and they are not generally in favour of doing such things.

The best "Tanya" can hope for is being allowed to have his dresses while he is on a (male) VP unit somewhere. As an ex-officer, he will be on a VP unit anyway.

That they even have an 'exemptions' route for the purpose of housing men in women's prisons just shows the Tories have no intention of actually dealing with this problem. They just want to fob everyone off with rhetoric, hoping we don't look at the factual details.

Interesting PonyPatter44. What, in your opinion, would constitute an 'exemption'?

Thanks, that's good to hear. I had worried, given the delay in sentencing, that this suggested he might be being considered for the women's estate.

This is a very good point.

trans women with male genitalia who are violent or sexual offenders serving sentences in female prisons came into force earlier this year.
Exemptions will only be made in the "most exceptional" cases

So there is some conceivable reason that a violent sex offender could still be housed in the female estate. Be good to hear the rationale behind that.

And before the ban, what would have happened? Terrifying. How on earth did so many people get hoodwinked by this? It's so obvious to anyone with a bit of common sense!

I've never sat on a board that agreed an exemption. All of them have involved sex offenders, and these were clearly people who had no business being in women's prisons. Not one of them "passed" as a woman either.

In my own experience, an exemption would, for example, cover someone who had transitioned before puberty but gone on to offend non-violently as an adult. The unicorn tax accountant, perhaps. I work in the men's estate but I would think that similar boards in the womens estate would be confirming that transmen should be housed in the women's estate and NOT go to the men's.

I wonder where they worked as a prison officer?
And if as a transgender women prison officer they were responsible for strip searching women prisoners (does strip search actually happen anyway?)
Women prisoners would, I assume, have no rights at all to refuse being searched.

Very reassuring to here @PonyPatter44

an exemption would, for example, cover someone who had transitioned before puberty but gone on to offend non-violently as an adult.

But the exemption is specifically for sex-offenders, or those with penises, I thought?

Interested to hear about these boards PonyPatter44 if you don't mind?

Who sits on them? Is it all people with experience of managing offenders? Are there individuals representing trans groups / organisations?

Are there similar boards for vulnerable women prisoners - pregnant? mentally unwell? with serious illnesses? Thanks

Tbh, the sad part is that with the number of images identified, prison may not even be a likely outcome. 85 images across A, B & C even with 100 extreme images - I've seen similar get community sentences, especially with a previous clean record.

It's unclear from the Reduxx article (which is beautifully researched,) whether the offences took place whilst employed as a PO, which could be an aggravating factor, but might not turn the tables.

It's certainly a quandry the probation officer wants help with for the pre-sentence report and understandably so!

The thing is, the exemptions specifically mention sex offenders.

*A ban on trans women with male genitalia who are violent or sexual offenders serving sentences in female prisons came into force earlier this year.^
Exemptions will only be made in the "most exceptional" cases and with the approval of ministers, the government said.'

Shocking re the community sentences when those men were jailed for the Viking or whatever coins.

I would imagine an exemption if the person transitioned pre-puberty, or had a chromosomal disorder, fully "presented as female" whatever that means, and only ever offended against men, and was thought to be no risk to women at all.

Don't get me started on why similar boards are not convened for other protected characteristics. I sat on a TG board at the same time that I was managing a physically disabled offender who was being held in a cell totally unsuitable for his needs. Noone convened a board for him.

Anyway....the board will be internal. It will include senior management from the prison, offender managers, probation, occasionally the police, and one or two specialist senior managers from the Prison Service, plus the prisoner. It is not a circus (though some prisoners try to make it so) and no outside agencies are involved, because its an internal Prison service decision.

Thank you PonyPatter44. Does the board sit before or after sentence?

Thank you PonyPatter44. That's a relief. Although, (as I'm cynical about all this) isn't it amazing how out of all the vulnerable groups in prison, only the male born sacred caste get their demands to access more victims even considered? 🙄

I understand at least one of the male prisons on east coast is building a transgender wing to house them

Separate wing seems very sensible.