Jorven Seren/Janiel Verainer

Jorven Seren, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was convicted of indecently assaulting a child and possession of 460 images of child sexual abuse. Seren was jailed for 15 months in December 2016.

Seren, 55, asked to be referred to as a woman in court and sucked their thumb throughout the trial after a 3ft doll brought to court was taken away. The court heard Seren believes himself to be a five-year-old girl, and defence counsel stated that “since an early age felt she is more woman than man.” While psychiatrists concluded Seren had personality disorders, the defendant did not have a mental illness which required treatment in a psychiatric hospital and so was jailed to protect the public, particularly young children.

*Update December 2021*

Janiel Verainer outside court. Image via Daily Star/SWNS

Under the name Janiel Verainer, the paedophile was again convicted of similar offences in 2021. In court the defendant claimed to identify as a 5 year old female child named Jorven Seren, this is presumably an alias that was used by media in 2016 without also printing the defendant’s actual name.

Seren/Verainer, 60, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court in December 2021 to breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) imposed in 2016, having approached and kissed two young girls on their mouths between December 18, 2019, and January 31, 2021. The girls were wearing school uniform and were approached at random. Three other charges of failing to comply with the SHPO will remain on file.

Reportedly, Verainer attended court dressed as an elf wearing a bizarre costume with attached bells which jangled when walking into court assisted by a ‘helper’. The defendant sucked their thumb during the hearing and was allowed to sit in the public gallery, rather than the dock. At an earlier hearing, Verainer sucked his thumb and wore his hair in pigtails while denying the charges.

Sentencing was adjourned to 25 February 2022 for a probation report to be prepared. A psychiatric report had already been completed and found Verainer had personality problems, but no mental health issues. Autopedophilia, or sexual arousal by the idea of being a child, is common in men who are sexually attracted to children.

In April 2022, Verainer received a 7 month jail term for the offences which was – all too predictably – suspended for 18 months, despite Verainer clearly flouting the terms of the SHPO. Verainer sat in the dock wearing pigtails, an Alice band, dress, long socks and a cape.

Other trans-identified males who have remarkably avoided jail for serious/repeat offences having received suspended sentences are collated under this tag.

*Update May 2024*

Verainer, now aged 63, was once again convicted at Maidstone Crown Court of SHPO breaches after police found two unregistered phones during a routine check at his home in Chatham, Kent in November 2023. The phones were apparently found in a ‘Hello Kitty’ inspired bedroom and the defendant appeared in court with his hair in bunches and wearing a sweatshirt depicting alphabet building blocks and the words ‘I am mentally 3 to 7 years’.

As previously, the psychiatric report found no underlying mental health disorder, learning difficulty, or brain injury and concluded that despite his expressed desire to be diagnosed as an ‘adult-child’ or with ‘adult-child syndrome, no such syndrome exists. Despite this knowledge, the judge seems to have made no remark on Verainer’s contemptuous behaviour in court, such as sucking his thumb while sitting in the dock. During the trial Verainer’s registered carer and partner – a man named Paul Hart – gave evidence while clutching a Hello Kitty toy and sucking on a baby’s pink dummy.

Verainer initially denied seven breaches of the SHPO between November 2022 and November 2023, but later pleaded guilty to the charges, and was jailed for a total of 16 months. A further SHPO breach charge and an offence of failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements were left on the court file. Verainer was held on remand at men’s prison HMP Elmley on the Isle of Sheppey since being arrested. The judge told Verainer that ‘Further [SHPO] breaches will only and inevitably lead to ever longer sentences. The onus is on you to ensure that doesn’t happen.’

Some media reports adhered to Verainer’s stated wish to be addressed as Ms Verainer and female pronouns – or avoided the issue by describing him as e.g. ‘Kent paedophile’, but interestingly, The Daily Express dropped the pretence and referred to Verainer as he or him throughout the article.