A BALDING cross-dresser who wanted a sex change and lived a string of sexually adventurous identities has been jailed for raping a vulnerable girl at a party.

Bearded Dean Sawley had been dumped five months before the rape after telling his girlfriend he wanted a sex change and he had started wearing women’s clothes, Durham Crown Court heard.

The 30-year-old would also assume alternative personalities, using names such as Vince and Dee-Anne, to have sex with different people.

Sawley’s barrister, Scott Smith, said his client was a very troubled person.

The rape took place on April 6 this year, when both Sawley and his victim attended the party.

Sawley had been drinking during the party, making inappropriate comments and had exposed himself to two females, aged 15 and 23, Sarah Mallett, prosecuting, said.

His victim was sleeping on a sofa when he began touching her, first over her clothes and then underneath.

He told her to go to the kitchen, where he stripped and told her to do the same.

After she refused sex, he committed several sex acts.

At one point, the girl said: “I’m a child, you’re an adult.”

He then warned the girl to keep what he had done a secret and they went to sleep.

But the next morning she told a friend, the police were called and Sawley was arrested.

When interviewed, he told officers he had been too drunk to remember what happened.

Sawley, of Kentmere, Spennymoor, County Durham, admitted rape, assault by penetration and sexual assault.

In mitigation, Mr Smith said Sawley acted in a completely different manner when in his different personalities.

He had been unaware of his victim’s learning difficulties, he added.

Sentencing, Judge Prince told Sawley had drunk to excess, engaged in objectionable and sexualised behaviour and his victim, a vulnerable young lady of real charm and many talents, had suffered a most adverse impact through his actions.

Sawley will remain on the sex offenders’ register for life and was made subject to a lifelong restraining order to protect his victim.