Leeds Crown Court: Transgender woman from Castleford found with sexual images of children as young as three

Sophie Seaton, 29, of Methley Road, Castleford, was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Thursday (June 1) after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children in 2018.

The court heard that the images featured children as young as three-years-old.

For the prosecution, Heather Gilmore said that the police were alerted to the pictures on Seaton’s mobile phone by her then-partner.

After being arrested they told police: “I will admit there’s something on my mobile.”

The court heard that five images of the most graphic kind were found on Seaton’s phone and that there were pictures of children as young as three to nine years-old.

Seaton tried to argue that the images were placed on her phone by their former partner but eventually pleaded guilty to the three charges.

Seaton’s defence counsel, Nicholas Hammond, said that a pre-sentence report recommended that Seadon be given a suspended sentence as they had a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.

After some deliberation over whether to imprison Seadon, His Honour Judge Geoffrey Marson KC decided to issue them with a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 15 months. They were also ordered to undertake 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Sentencing Seadon, he said: “Indecent images of children are a gross abuse of each of these children who are degraded and harmed to a significant extent.

"It’s all very well you saying you don’t have a sexual interest in young children to your probation officer but it’s plainly untrue. The sooner you come to accept that the better.

"Clearly the age of the children and the nature of the images have crossed the custody threshold. The only question in my mind is whether it’s necessary for you to serve that sentence.

"I can tell you at this stage that I am just persuaded not to send you immediately to prison today.”

He said that the large delay in the case coming before the court had influenced his decision, as well as the fact that Seadon had not offended since the matters.

He said: “I’m persuaded there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”