Last Updated on January 22, 2020
An Iowa pedophile who was convicted of molesting 15 children–including a baby–is to be released from prison after transitioning to become a woman.
The convict, Josie Smith, 23, is to be freed from jail after hormones from a gender transition lowered Smith’s testosterone levels.
Smith had spent four years behind bars after being convicted. Smith was sentenced before transitioning or taking hormones, and therefore, would have had the regular hormone levels of a man.
At the time of Smith’s conviction, he was sentenced to an indefinite period behind bars due to having a more manly sex drive.
However, due to hormone therapy and drastic reductions in Smith’s testosterone levels, it is believed that Smith’s chances of reoffending have become negligible, officials report.
Smith began gender reassignment treatment two years into the indefinite sentence, after being jailed in 2015 for molesting a student when Smith went by the name ‘Joseph.’
According to Metro, a pre-sentencing report recommended that Smith be jailed for a lengthy period of time as it was discovered that he had molested 15 children between the ages of 1 to 13.
In Iowa, criminal prosecutors need to prove that the likelihood of a convict reoffending exceeds 51% if they are to be sentenced for the rest of their life.
The fact that Smith was under 25, never had a long-term relationship, and abused both girls and boys, in addition with significantly lowering his testosterone levels all contributed to his likelihood to reoffend falling to around 20%.
On the decision to free Smith, Iowa Attorney General spokesman Lynn Hicks said: “We don’t believe we have evidence sufficient to prove Josie Smith has a significant chance of re-offending.”
The Iowa Attorney General’s office said they had never dealt with a similar case before.
Hicks continued: “We don’t believe we have evidence sufficient to prove Josie Smith has a significant chance of re-offending.
“She’ll be subject to supervision for the rest of her life.”
It is uncertain when Smith will be released.
Smith grew up in Louisiana where, as a child, he was subjected to abuse from the age of seven, it was revealed.
