A transgender individual convicted of rape and pedophilia has died in their prison cell in Australia, days before a scheduled parole hearing. The deceased, identified as Benjamin Charles Jones, was found at Cooma Correctional Centre on October 30, 2026.
Jones, who identified as transgender and used she/they pronouns, was serving a sentence of three years and four months for a sexual assault committed in Sydney's CBD in October 2024. The victim was a young female tourist who was followed after leaving a nightclub. Jones pleaded guilty to sexual assault without consent and stalking.
Prior to the Sydney incident, Jones had been jailed in 2021 for attempted rape in Melbourne. They also served seven years in Germany for sexually assaulting a child and were placed on a sex offender register upon deportation to Australia in 2018. Jones had been eligible for parole on November 21, 2026, with the hearing set for November 12.
Corrective Services NSW confirmed no other individuals were involved in Jones' death. The New South Wales State Parole Authority was notified a week after the discovery. The death is subject to investigation by Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police, and will be reported to the NSW Coroner for a compulsory public inquiry.
Court documents revealed Jones had spent nearly two years in protective isolation due to threats from other inmates. Judge Troy Anderson noted these threats, along with Jones' mental health issues and drug abuse, when handing down the sentence, stating that any period of custody would weigh more heavily under such circumstances.