Paedophile tree surgeon caught with indecent images of children and prosecuted under a male name is spared jail – and now identifies as a woman

A paedophile caught with indecent images of children and prosecuted under a male name has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence – as the court heard she now identifies as a woman. 

Tree surgeon Sophie Louise Carter ‘wrestled’ with police to stop them taking her phone when challenged, a judge was told.

Two devices were seized and two category A images – the most severe kind – were found along with a further three Category B images and six which were Category C.

The now-separated 39 year old, of Lee-on-the-Solent, Hants, was prosecuted under the name Dominic Mark Carter.

However, her sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court, Hants, was told she now identifies as a woman and goes by the first names Sophie Louise.

Tree surgeon Sophie Louise Carter (seen outside Southampton Crown Court) ‘wrestled’ with police to stop them taking her phone when challenged, a judge was told

Carter – who attended court dressed in a pink t-shirt and pink shorts and with pink nail polish on – admitted three counts of making indecent images of children in relation to the incident on April 3, 2021.

Judge Nicholas Rowland told her: ‘The reason that children around the world are subject to abuse and it is filmed is because people seek gratification.

‘People like you get gratification from looking at those images.’

Ed Warren, defending, said there was a ‘history of abuse’ in Carter’s life dating back to when she was five which has caused ‘some degree of trauma’.

He added that his client has a ‘longstanding issue with alcohol abuse’ and had been taking class A drugs at the time of the offending.

She is no longer taking drugs but the drinking is ongoing and she has been signed off work until 2024 with mental health issues, the court heard.

Two devices were seized and two category A images – the most severe kind – were found along with a further three Category B images and six which were Category C

Mr Warren said: ‘The root cause of the mental health issues is this case. She was holding down a good job as a tree surgeon.

‘Miss Carter has now separated from her now ex-wife. That relationship at the time was beginning to disintegrate.’

Carter, who has five convictions for six past offences, was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and must complete 60 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions and 120 hours of unpaid work.

She must also register as a sex offender and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years.

A deprivation order was made for the two seized phones.

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