MIDDLESBROUGH TRANS WOMAN CAUGHT WITH IMAGES OF CHILDREN BEING ABUSED GIVEN COMMUNITY ORDER
A trans woman, who was caught with illegal images of children being sexually abused, has walked free from court.Kairah Kelly, 25, stored 18 indecent images on a phone, including one showing a six-year-old boy being sexually abused.
Kelly was also caught with two prohibited photos of children in a police raid on January 21.
On Thursday, Teesside Crown Court heard that the police turned up at Kelly's house in central Middlesbrough, after receiving information about the illegal material.
Lucy Todd, prosecuting, told the court that Kelly was arrested and provided PIN numbers for two phones that were confiscated from the home.
The illegal content was found on one of the phones.
Kelly later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and possessing a prohibited image of a child.
Kelly has never been in trouble with the courts before.
Judge Amanda Rippon said that Kelly, of Worcester Street, had become "forevermore isolated using the internet and drinking too much" and that combined with mental health difficulties, this "led to the offending".
"These offences are particularly horrible," the judge told Kelly, "because the children in these pictures are abused and then they're thrown away like rubbish when they're no longer of use to the abuser.
It's filmed and photographed because people like you want to view it.
Do not stand there and think for one second that there are no victims.
Every child you looked at in these images, you abused".
Handing out a two-year community order, the judge said that Kelly must take part in a mental health treatment programme for six months; an alcohol abstinence programme for 120 days; and attend 20 rehabilitation days.
Kelly was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years, which restricts use of the internet and means that the police can check online devices at any time.
"This is one chance and you need to take it," Judge Rippon added.
"I promise you if you come back in front of me in the next two years and you've done this again, I will ignore all of your difficulties and I will send you to prison".
