Trans woman convicted of rape sent to male prison

A TRANSGENDER woman who raped her friend in an “especially shocking” attack will be jailed at a men’s prison.

Lexi-rose Crawford, 24, was jailed for nine years yesterday after raping and sexually assaulting the victim inside her own home.

Crawford, born a male under the name Dominic Risden, is expected to serve her sentence at a men’s prison following recent guidance from the Ministry of Justice.

The guidelines, announced in February this year, state that transgender women will not be housed at women’s prisons if they have male genitalia or have committed sexual offences.

Jurors at Bristol Crown Court heard that Crawford had previously been jailed for four years after forcing a 15-year-old into oral sex and sexual intercourse.

Within weeks of being freed on licence in January 2019, Crawford then raped a second victim who had invited her over to play video games.

Prosecutors repeatedly referred to

‘I was having flashbacks and night terrors. Lexi was supposed to be my friend and I feel betrayed by her’

Crawford using “her penis” during the rape. During the four-day trial, Crawford claimed to have suffered “blackouts” after the assault, leaving her with no memory of the incident.

Her defence was dismissed as “a convenient excuse” by the prosecution, with jurors taking only two hours to find her guilty of rape and assault by penetration.

The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, wrote in a personal impact statement, read out to the court, that she had repeatedly attempted suicide following the attack.

“It took place in my own home; I could not stay home anymore. I was having flashbacks and night terrors about what happened. Lexi was supposed to be my friend and I feel betrayed by her.”

Crawford was sentenced to nine years for the rape and six and half years for the sexual assault. Both terms will run concurrently.

A restraining order was also imposed. Judge Michael Longman told Crawford: “Given your previous record of offending, these convictions are particularly serious, given that the victim was your friend and a friend you knew to be vulnerable herself. The sense of betrayal is perfectly understandable.”