An Australian man who identifies as transgender has pleaded guilty to three offenses related to possessing “extreme” child sexual exploitation materials, including videos he created of himself performing sex acts next to a sleeping 5-year-old.
Josh Dean French, 25, who goes by the name ‘Jayda Dean,’ confessed to twice filming himself masturbating next to his friend’s sleeping child, opportunistically exploiting the 5-year-old while her mother ran an errand. French had been work colleagues and friends with the girl’s mother, and she had trusted him to keep an eye on the house while she went to the grocery store.
French first came under police scrutiny during a separate investigation into an unnamed individual suspected of child sexual abuses. Law enforcement became aware of communications between the suspect and French, who was using his “female” name to communicate with the other pedophile. On November 9, 2021, police raided French’s home and seized his electronic devices.
In total, authorities found 73 “extreme” videos and images on French’s devices, 49 of which contained aggravated child sexual abuse, and 24 of which contained non-aggravated child exploitation media. Among them were the two videos of French masturbating by the sleeping girl.
In a statement made during sentencing on September 15, Judge Julie McIntyre highlighted the depraved nature of the material, noting that the abuse images found by police were among the most serious kind.
“The material found in your possession, whilst not extensive, includes some extremely deviant and depraved material involving the sexual abuse of children, ranging from teenagers to very young children and babies. To describe this material as ‘disturbing’ is an understatement,” Judge McIntyre said.
She emphasized that the possession of child sexual abuse materials “are not victimless crimes.”
“When you access and possess child exploitation material, you access the physical pain and emotional trauma of children being subjected to sexual abuse,” Judge McIntyre elaborated, noting that such abuse causes long-term physical and mental health issues.
“Moreover, the victims live with the knowledge that the images and videos of their abuse exist in perpetuity on the internet. The existence of that material and the continual fear of being identified adds to victims’ feelings of shame and humiliation,” she added.
During a psychological evaluation, French apparently insisted he did not have a sexual attraction to children. He also blamed the child sexual abuse material possession on his male persona, whom he apparently suggested was a separate entity.
French pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated producing child exploitation material, two counts of possessing child exploitation material, one of which relates to material depicting children under 14 years of age, while the other concerns material depicting children over the age of 14.
French was sentenced to a total of 4 years, 10 months, and 8 days after Judge McIntyre imposed a discount on his time served. She noted that he will be eligible for parole in May of 2024. It is unknown if French will be serving his sentence in the female estate, or if he will be ordered to a men’s institution.
According to Women’s Forum Australia, the state of South Australia, where French was convicted, has no straightforward policies on where to place transgender inmates, but individuals are usually accommodated on a case-by-case basis.
French is the second transgender pedophile identified in South Australia, and the third in the country, over the past 30 days. A 2016 report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that there were only 1,260 “gender diverse” people in the entirety of Australia.
Reduxx is a newly-launched independent source of pro-woman, pro-child safeguarding news and commentary. We’re 100% reader-funded! Support our mission by joining our Patreon, or consider making a one-time donation.
