A transgender woman caught with indecent images of children was spared jail after her case was delayed so a decision could be made on whether she should be housed in a male or female prison.
Former prison worker Tanya Howes, 66, was told by magistrates that the offences ‘would normally attract immediate custody’ but they made the ‘unusual’ decision to suspend her 12-month jail term after the debate caused a ‘time lag’.
Howes, who is identified in court documents as female and referred to in court by female pronouns, previously admitted three charges of possessing indecent images of children, including 39 of the most serious category A photographs, on February 19 2020.
David Campbell Bannerman, a Norfolk-based former Conservative MP slammed the decision as ‘unduly lenient’ – questioning the reason behind the suspended jail term.
He said: ‘It seems unduly lenient. It’s nothing to do with the person being transgender, it’s the nature of the offences. It’s surprisingly lenient and ought to be reviewed. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered.’
