Fury as Sussex Police defend trans paedophile who was jailed for sexually abusing seven children

27 September 2022, 17:05 | Updated: 27 September 2022, 19:51

Sussex Police have sparked fury after defending a transgender paedophile who was jailed for sexually abusing seven children.

The force said it will not "tolerate hateful comments about gender" after being criticised for referring to serial sex offender Sally Ann Dixon, as female.

The 58-year-old was sentenced at Lewes Crown Court after being convicted of 30 indecent assaults against her victims.

The five girls and two boys, who were aged between six and 15 in the seven-year period from 1989 to 1996, were abused at locations in Crawley, Bexhill and Icklesham.

But the force claimed the sex of the convicted offender was not part of the series of attacks that had been carried out.

They responded to the remarks online, saying: "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."

It also referred people to what is defined as a hate crime on their site.

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Home Secretary Suella Braverman has since taken to Twitter and weighed in on Sussex Police's handling of the case.

Reposting a tweet which has since been deleted by the constabulary, she wrote:

"@Sussex_police have done well to put a dangerous criminal behind bars. But they’ve got it wrong by playing identity politics and denying biology. Focus on catching criminals not policing pronouns. #commonsensepolicing"

Dixon began transitioning 18 years ago - after the period during which the offences took place.

She was given an 18-year custodial sentence, with an additional two years to be served on extended licence.

A Judge ordered at least two thirds of this sentence must be served in custody.

Dixon will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order indefinitely.

She was also found not guilty of four indecent assaults.

Speaking on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on Tuesday morning, new Met Commissioner Mark Rowley said his priority was cutting crime over pursuit of woke causes.

"The issue for the police is about operating without fear of favour," he said.

"We shouldn't show allegiance to any political cause whether it has 99 per cent public support or 1 per cent public cause."

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."