Sussex Police sparks fury after defending transgender paedophile who sexually abused seven children saying it will not ‘tolerate hateful comments about gender’
- Police force was savaged for defending legally male paedophile over gender
- Sally Ann Dixon, 58, was found guilty on 30 charges relating to child sex abuse
- Offender was jailed for two consecutive nine-year sentences with a licence
- Dixon will serve a minimum term of 12 years at women’s prison HMP Bronzefield
- This is despite the offender not having a Gender Recognition Certificate of sex
Sussex Police has defended a legally male paedophile who now identifies as a woman, insisting it would not ‘tolerate any hateful comments about gender’.
The constabulary made the extraordinary statement online after it was criticised for referring to serial sex offender Sally Ann Dixon, 58, as female.
In a widely-savaged comment it told one women’s rights campaigner Dixon should not be misgendered.
And in another heavily-criticised point, it claimed the sex of the convicted offender was not part of the series of attacks that had been carried out.
The court trying Dixon had heard there was no Gender Recognition Certificate changing their sex from male to female.
Sussex Police declared: ‘Hi, Sussex Police do not tolerate any hateful comments towards their gender identity regardless of crimes committed.
‘This is irrelevant to the crime that has been committed and investigated. Sussex Police.’
Dixon began transitioning 18 years ago and carried out the offences against seven children from 1989 to 1996 while she was living as a man.
The offender was found guilty on 30 offences of indecent assault or indecency with a child against seven victims in July, the youngest of whom was seven years old at the time.
Sally Ann Dixon, 58, was found guilty on 30 charges relating to historic child sexual abuse
The court trying Dixon heard there was no Gender Recognition Certificate changing their sex
Sussex Police hit out at criticism it shouldn’t be referring the crimes as being done by a woman
His Honour Judge Mark Van Der Zwart heard in July that Dixon did not have a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Sussex Police’s Twitter message attracted hundreds of posts criticising its stance.
Psychologist Pam Spurr said: ‘Insane. The police are doing a terrible disservice to crime statistics actually being meaningful with this “parallel universe” approach to allocating sexual assault crimes to the wrong gender.’
Mother Clare King, who is a school governor, said: ‘No Sussex Police, this is not a female crime.’
Henrietta Freeman added of Sussex’s message: ‘It is extremely relevant. This is a disgraceful reply to anyone but especially a woman. Men are committing horrific crimes in our name.’
A jury took 17.5 hours to find Dixon – who will do 18 years’ time in a women’s prison -guilty on the charges, and not guilty on three more.
Ryan Richter, prosecuting, described a campaign of offending against two boys and five girls lasting eight years.
He told the court: ‘The defendant, living as a man in the late 80s and 90s, was a brazen and callous sexual predator.
‘He exploited young males and cultivated a toxic relationship with female children who he systematically abused throughout their childhoods.’
There was a lot at the crime being recorded as female and that Dixon was referred to as ‘she’
Sally Anne Dixon, who was born John Stephen Dixon in 1963, married twice and began transitioning to live as a female in 2004.
Women’s rights campaigner Maya Forstater, who famously won a test case ruling gender-critical views were a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act, called for a review.
She told MailOnline: ‘It is not “hateful” or criminal to call someone male a man. It is a simple statement of fact.
‘The paedophile who committed these crimes, like 98% of those who undertake sex crimes was and remains male
‘There needs to be a review up and down the justice system from the police to CPS to courts and prison system to record and speak truthfully about sex.’
Despite being jailed for six months in 1997 for the sexual abuse of a teenage boy, it was not until a victim came forward in 2019 that Dixon’s years of offending came to light.
Judge Van Der Zwart said opportunities to jail Dixon earlier had been missed.
Sussex Police reopened their investigation into Dixon’s earlier offending in 2019 following a new complaint from another victim.
Harrowing victim statements were read to the court by victims, now adult men and women, who described horrific abuse.
One woman said her childhood abuse left her feeling constant anxiety.
‘I was hoping he would do the right thing for once and not put me through the trial but he didn’t.
‘He is a coward who did not give evidence.
‘He was happy to put us through it but not himself.’
Dixon lived in Crawley and Bexhill and worked repairing TVs and as a DJ around local bars, clubs and a caravan park.
The court heard the children were abused at a lock-up garage and in a caravan on the south coast.
Dixon was given consecutive nine year custodial sentences with two one year extended licences and will serve at least 12 years in custody before becoming eligible for parole.
Detective Constable Amy Pooley of the Sussex Police Complex Abuse Unit said: ‘Dixon came to know these vulnerable young children successively through family connections, and used that trusted access to systematically abuse each of them for sexual gratification, in some cases for several months at a time.
‘Only when one of the victims eventually came to us in 2019 was the terrible and distressing nature of Dixon’s offending over many years finally uncovered.
‘As one victim escaped this predatory interest, another would take their place, but sometimes some victims would be offended against simultaneously.
‘This case shows again that we will always follow up such reports, no matter how long ago the events are said to have happened, to support victims and to see if we can achieve justice for them wherever the evidence justifies that.’
His Honour Judge Mark Van Der Zwart heard in July that Dixon did not have a Gender Recognition Certificate.
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