A pedophile who twice avoided jail due to his self-declared transgender status is now currently living near multiple primary schools, according to information provided in a UK sex offender database. Peter Selby, 71, was told the “impact of custody would be significant” for him after he was caught with a significant amount of disturbing child sexual abuse images and videos.
Selby’s home address in South Shields, which is listed on a sex offender database, is within a close proximity to nursery schools and primary schools, as well as a public park where children gather to play.
Selby resides less than one mile away from a Catholic primary school and a nursery school, and just a short drive from a handful of other schools for young children.
In June 2022 Selby appeared in court and was found guilty on three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. A forensic examination uncovered 125,000 child sexual abuse images and videos on his computer, some of which featured children as young as three-years-old, and at least one featuring an adult engaging in bestiality.
Selby gathered the sadistic collection over a ten year period, using internet search terms such as “pre teen” and “jail bait”. The sex offender confessed to owning the collection and told the court that his interest in adult pornography had “morphed” into looking at illegal images of children.
Selby faced the possibility of a maximum of 10 years in prison for the charges. Despite this, The judge claimed that if Selby, who identified as transgender, was put in prison, the “impact of custody would be significant” for him. Selby was therefore sentenced to 14 months suspended for two years, with the judge determining that he would be safer if placed among the community.
In the United Kingdom, a suspended sentence indicates that the offender avoids jail completely and is instead released into the community and expected not to commit another offense within the timeframe of their conditions.
According to the Shields Gazette, during sentencing on June 1, the presiding judge stated that no one would seek out child sexual abuse media “unless they have a sexual interest in children to start with,” yet declined to sentence Selby to an immediate prison sentence.
“You identify as transgender and that has caused issues for you and anxiety for you in how you would cope with that if you were sent immediately to prison,” the Judge said, adding: “You are someone who identifies as transgender and the impact of custody would be significant for you in the circumstances.”
Along with his suspended sentence, Selby was placed on the sex offenders register and made to sign a SHPO, stopping him from using any in-private browsing on his computer, or downloading VPN software that could hide his crimes, for the next 10 years. The lenient sentence prompted outrage at the time, prompting Conservative peer Baroness Nicholson to call for a review. She condemned the decision as representative of a “disregard” for child safety and speculated whether the judge had “overlooked” matters of child protection. Despite the uproar, Selby’s sentence remained suspended.
But less than a year later, in March of 2023, police visited Selby’s home to conduct a risk review, and discovered that Selby had downloaded VPN software intended to conceal his internet activity. Selby pled guilty to a breach of his SHPO, and appeared in front of Judge Robert Adams, wearing lipstick and with visible fake breasts, at Newcastle Crown Court that year.
Selby claimed that he had health difficulties, including problems with his memory, and told the court that he had no memory of downloading the VPN software to his laptop. No new child sexual abuse images were discovered on his laptop.
Once again, Selby’s self-declared transgender status shielded him from serving a prison sentence.
“You have been wearing women’s clothing for the last 30 years,” Judge Adams said. “Your family has distanced themselves from you as a result. You have no history of drug use and no drinking since 2013,” he continued. Because Selby had not offended again in the last two years, and that he would “undoubtedly be at risk of physical or sexual assault in custody because of [his] presentation in a male prison,” he got off with a 10 month sentence, suspended for 18 months, along with a £100 fine and rehabilitation program requirements.
Selby is not the first transgender pedophile to be given a lenient sentence only to end up living in proximity of children.
As previously reported by Reduxx, a trans-identified male who was convicted of possessing horrific child abuse material, some of which was in the most severe classification, was spared jail time after the court stated he was “cooperative” during proceedings. Tanya Howes, 66, was allowed to walk free despite living adjacent to a children’s park.
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