A transgender paedophile rapist who was days away from a parole listening to that would have seen them launched again into the neighborhood has been discovered lifeless in a jail cell.
Benjamin Charles Jones, 47, had lately been sentenced after they adopted a younger feminine vacationer by Sydney‘s CBD and and tried to rape her in October 2024.
Jones was jailed for 3 years and 4 months over the assault and ordered to serve no less than two years.
After a 25 per cent discount for an early responsible plea and credit score for time already served, Jones had been eligible for parole from November 21. The listening to was scheduled for November 12.
However Jones was discovered lifeless at Cooma Correctional Centre on October 30. The NSW State Parole Authority was notified every week later.
A Corrective Providers NSW spokeswoman mentioned no different particular person was concerned within the demise.
‘On Friday 30 October 2026, a 49-year-old died at Cooma Correctional Centre,’ the spokeswoman mentioned.
‘Corrective Providers NSW (CSNSW) and NSW Police are investigating.
A transgender paedophile rapist who was days away from a parole listening to has been discovered lifeless in a jail cell
Jones, who used she/they pronouns, had lately been sentenced for the assault and tried rape of a feminine vacationer in October 2024. Pictured is Jones captured on CCTV shortly earlier than the assault
‘Any demise in custody is straight away reported to the NSW Coroner and topic to a obligatory public inquiry.’
Jones, who recognized as transgender and used she/they pronouns, had beforehand been jailed for the tried rape of a lady strolling house from dinner in Melbourne in 2021.
Jones had additionally served seven years in jail in Germany for sexually assaulting a six-year-old woman and was positioned on a baby intercourse offenders register after being deported again to Australia in 2018, news.com.au reported.
CCTV footage from the October 2024 assault confirmed Jones following the 31-year-old vacationer by Sydney’s CBD after she left a nightclub.
The court docket heard Jones adopted her by Hyde Park earlier than dragging her right into a secluded nook close to St Mary’s Cathedral and attempting to rape her.
Jones shoved a plastic object into the lady’s mouth to muffle her screams and tried to take away each their very own pants and hers.
‘I need to f*** you, simply let me f*** you,’ Jones advised her.
The lady managed to flee in the course of the wrestle and sought assist from passers-by.
CCTV footage from the October 2024 assault confirmed Jones following the 31-year-old vacationer by Sydney’s CBD after she left a nightclub
Jones was later arrested after their DNA was discovered beneath the lady’s fingernails and on her clothes.
They pleaded responsible to 1 rely of sexual assault with out consent and one rely of stalking.
In her sufferer affect assertion, the lady mentioned the assault had shattered her sense of security. Earlier than the assault, she had felt in a position to stroll freely with out concern or intimidation.
‘I selected to not inform my shut relations, together with my mother and father and grandparents, as a result of I didn’t need to place a burden on them that they might not address,’ she advised the court docket.
The court docket additionally heard Jones had been launched into the neighborhood simply weeks earlier than the Hyde Park assault following breaches of reporting obligations, regardless of police warning that they had been a ‘vital danger’ to the general public
In keeping with court docket paperwork, Jones had delayed informing police of about his transfer from Victoria to NSW.
He additionally supplied false data to police about the place his new residing preparations.
‘Since arrival in NSW, the accused has been tough to find and reported to not have a cell phone,” court docket paperwork acknowledged.
Jones acquired a 12-month neighborhood corrections order for breaching his reporting circumstances.
In the course of the current sentencing in relation to the October 2024 assault, NSW District Courtroom Decide Troy Anderson took into consideration Jones’ psychological well being points, drug abuse and reported threats from different inmates when sentencing him.
Since his arrest, Jones has spent virtually two years in protecting isolation as a result of threats from different prisoners, a circumstance the decide mentioned meant any interval of custody would ‘weigh extra closely’ on him.
‘It’s definitely a tough sentencing train given the appalling nature of the conduct itself. However the subjective case of the offender is highly effective,’ Decide Anderson mentioned as he made Jones eligible for parole from November 21.
A parole listening to was scheduled for the next Thursday.
