On May 3rd, a 66-year-old transgender woman, Tanya Howes of Norwich, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child and of possessing over 100 "grossly offensive" pornographic images and videos. Howes, who court documents have listed as female, previously admitted to having 39 category A photographs of children, 17 category B, and 29 category C pictures. According to Reduxx, catergory A "is the most serious type of child sexual abuse media" and "depict penetrative sexual activity, bestiality, and/or sexual sadism."
According to Eastern Daily Press, Howes was not sentenced on the 3rd and is out on unconditional bail until a July 4th hearing. A Norfolk Probation Service application was approved for an extension to complete a variety of reports on the matter and a probation officer said that they need to consult with a transgender board before Howes can be sentenced.
"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," the Norfolk Probation Service said. "It’s about our policy but also making sure the appropriate factors are identified given the nature of the case."
Transgender boards were created in 2017 to determine whether a transgender offender shall be housed in a male or female prison. Earlier this year, England enacted a rule to prevent all trans women with male genitalia, sex offenders, and those convicted of violent offenses from being housed in female prisons.
The government also makes accommodations in a specialist unit for transgender women who cannot be safely housed in men’s units but who the board deems a risk in the female prison.
The new rules came after Isla Bryson was convicted of two counts of rape in January and outcry ensued as the possibility of housing the offender in female prison became a possibility.
According to a Ministry of Justice report in November, there were 230 transgender prisoners out of a total 78,058 prisoners.Photos from Tanya Howes' Flikr, per Reduxx.
