Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer

A 17-year-old boy, who deceived the police by appearing as a woman and was recently remanded at a women's prison in St. Catherine, is actually a habitual cross-dresser.

The accused, who was admitted to the Fort Augusta Adult Correctional Centre on Friday, January 5, had also tricked the police in 2005 and was subsequently remanded at the Glenhope Place of Safety for Girls in the same parish.

Arrested

Reportedly of an address in St. Mary, the accused was arrested on New Year's Day for driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.

A release issued on Thursday, by the Department of Correctional Services, stated that a board of enquiry had been convened to investigate the circumstances under which a juvenile accused, who was admitted to the correctional centre, turned out to be a cross-dresser.

In December 2005, the juvenile pleaded guilty in the Spanish Town RM Court to driving without a driver's licence.

He later appeared in the Spanish Town Children's Court, believed to be a girl, and was remanded at Glenhope, and later absconded from the institution. It was later learned that he was a boy, but had used tissue and scandal bags to make false breasts.

A source close to The Gleaner said that further investigations revealed that the juvenile is a habitual wrong-doer and had previously been convicted of breaking and entering, assault occasioning bodily harm, simple larceny, and obtaining goods and money by false pretence.

The court also learned that the reason the accused was able to beat the system was because juveniles are not fingerprinted.