Transgender Prisoner Sexually Assaulted Inmates At Women’s Prison, Jailed For Life

A transgender prisoner was jailed for life Wednesday for sexually assaulting two female inmates in a women’s prison in Yorkshire, England. She was sentenced for two counts each of rape and sexual assaults and one offense of wounding.

Karen White, 52, who was born a man and currently transitioning, admitted to the sexual assault charges. She also admitted to raping another two women outside the jail.

In September 2017, White was transferred to New Hall prison in West Yorkshire, after being arrested on suspicion of repeatedly stabbing a neighbor. The sexual assaults on fellow prisoners took place between September and October. Her previous convictions include indecent assault, indecent exposure and gross indecency involving children, animal cruelty and dishonesty, the Guardian reported.

During the hearing Wednesday, White appeared by video link from HM Prison in Leeds, England, in a patterned blouse and glasses with shoulder-length blond hair.

The court was told she had begun gender reassignment treatment since entering the prison system in August last year. She had a long history of sexual violence and had also displayed predatory behavior toward vulnerable adults and children for more than two decades.

Born as Stephen Terence Wood, she was convicted of deliberately exposing herself near a children’s playground in 1989. Almost 12 years later, she was convicted of committing gross indecency with two boys aged nine and 12 and jailed for 18 months.

In 2003, she raped a pregnant woman who was the wife of a friend. White offered to help her decorate her flat and secretly spiked her drink. When she passed out, White raped her. She was arrested, however, information as to why she was not prosecuted at the time was given in court Wednesday.

She was again arrested in August 2017 for threatening to kill her 66-year-old neighbor and repeatedly stabbing him with a steak knife, the Independent reported.

Prosecutor Christopher Dunn said White became friendly with another female inmate and on Sept. 13, 2017, she pressed herself against the victim in a sexual manner while in a queue for medication.

The incident was then reported to police and at the time, another prisoner accused White of making “inappropriate comments” during a prison workshop. She said White grabbed her hand and put it on the defendant's left breast.

While in the prison, White wrote a letter to a woman she had previously raped. The letter sparked an investigation after the woman complained to the prison authorities about it. She also informed the authorities that White had violently raped her five or six times between January and December 2016.

While on detention, White told the police she was sexually interested in children and could abuse a child and “think nothing of it”.

While reading out the sentence Wednesday, Christopher Batty, the judge said, “You are a predator and highly manipulative and in my view you are a danger. You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public. She must serve a minimum term of eight-and-a-half years before parole can be considered."

A Prison Service spokesperson said, “We apologise sincerely for the mistakes which were made in this case. While we work to manage all prisoners, including those who are transgender, sensitively and in line with the law, we are clear that the safety of all prisoners must be our absolute priority.”