Transgender sex attacker jailed for life
‘PREDATOR’ PREYED ON WOMEN IN PRISON WHILE BEING HELD FOR RAPE
A TRANSGENDER sex attacker preyed on inmates in a women’s prison while being held for raping a woman in Manchester.
Karen White, 52, was born a man but identifies as a woman. After being charged with raping two women – one in Manchester – and stabbing a 66-yearold neighbour, White was sent to a women’s jail.
Within days of arriving at HMP New Hall in Flockton, near Wakefield, last autumn, White sexually assaulted two women prisoners – while wearing a wig, make-up and women’s clothing.
Now White, formerly known as David Thompson and Stephen Wood, has been jailed for life – and sent to a men’s prison.
Leeds Crown Court heard the serial sex attacker was a ‘predatory’ and ‘manipulative’ individual who posed a ‘significant risk of serious harm to children, women and the general public.’
The attack on the woman in Manchester happened while White was living at Birch Lane in Longsight.
White was on licence, having been released early from a sentence for molesting a child.
White was then arrested after moving to Mytholmroyd, near Hebden Bridge, where she attacked a 66-year-old neighbour with a steak knife.
The victim was told by White: “I’m going to kill you. If I don’t do it now, you won’t know when or where, but I am going to kill you.”
Following the arrest, two women came forward with rape allegations against White.
One was raped while pregnant and another was raped repeatedly, causing her internal injuries and the fear she could not have children in the future.
Both women had tried to take their own lives as a result of the rapes.
White had only began gender reassignment after being remanded into custody for that appalling catalogue of offending, the court heard.
White was later found guilty of one count of wounding following a trial at Bradford Crown Court, before pleading guilty to three counts of rape against two women, and two counts of sexual assault against female inmates.
Prosecutor Christopher Dunn described the defendant as ‘allegedly’ transgender.
Mr Dunn said: “The prosecution say allegedly because there’s smatterings of evidence in this case that the defendant’s approach to transitioning has been less than committed.
“The prosecution suggest the reason for the lack of commitment towards transitioning is so the defendant can use a transgender persona to put herself in contact with vulnerable persons she can then abuse.”
Now in a men’s prison – HMP Leeds in Armley – White has been locked up for life, with a minimum of eight years and 116 days to serve.
Judge Christopher Batty told White: “You are a predator and highly manipulative.
“You represent a significant risk of serious harm to children, to women and to the general public.”