Paedophile tree surgeon caught with indecent images of children now identifies as a woman.

A paedophile who identified as a woman and was caught with indecent images of children has been given a six-month suspended prison sentence.

Tree surgeon Sophie Louise Carter, previously known as Dominic Mark Carter, was arrested in April 2021 after police found two category A images (the most severe kind) along with three Category B images and six which were Category C on her phone. The 39-year-old, from Lee-on-the-Solent, Hants, admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children.

During her sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court, Judge Nicholas Rowland stated: "The reason that children around the world are subject to abuse and it is filmed is because people seek gratification. People like you get gratification from looking at those images."

Defense attorney Ed Warren argued that Carter's past trauma and alcohol abuse had contributed to her actions. He said that she had a "longstanding issue with alcohol abuse" and had been taking class A drugs at the time of the offending. She is no longer taking drugs, but continues to drink and has been signed off work until 2024 due to mental health issues.

"The root cause of the mental health issues is this case," Warren said. "She was holding down a good job as a tree surgeon. Miss Carter has now separated from her now ex-wife. That relationship at the time was beginning to disintegrate."

Carter was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months. She must also complete 60 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions and 120 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, she is required to register as a sex offender and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years. The two seized phones were also ordered to be confiscated.