A trans-identified male who was caught with images of young children being sexually abused has walked free from court after being given a community order. Tyler “Kairah” Kelly, 25, was formerly promoted as a happy “trans kid” by British media.
Kelly, of central Middlesborough, was initially arrested following a raid on his home in January. The investigation was reportedly sparked by a tip sent to police indicating that Kelly was in possession of illegal material. At the time of his arrest, two phones were seized from his home, with illegal material being found on one of them. According to Teeside Live, at least one of the images depicted a 6-year-old boy being sexually abused.
Kelly later pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and possessing a prohibited image of a child.
During the trial, Kelly’s defense attorney, Robert Mochrie, said that his client has had a “difficult life due to gender dysphoria,” and lamented the “social isolation she has endured during her early years.” Mochrie described his client as a “prime candidate for rehabilitation.”
The court agreed, and handed Kelly a two-year community order, along with an order to attend a mental health treatment program for six months; an alcohol abstinence program for 120 days; and attend 20 rehabilitation days. Kelly was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years, which restricts his use of the internet and allows police to search his devices at any time.
Kelly’s arrest holds particular significance, as just 10 years ago he was sympathetically profiled by media for being a “trans teen.”
In a 2016 Metro article, Kelly, who was 15 years old at the time, was described as “a Kim K-lookalike.” The article notes that Kelly began formally identifying as transgender over a school break, leaving as Tyler and returning as “Kairah.”
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