Mick Hartley

Well, here's a surprise:

A serial rapist who targeted female victims in toilets and changing rooms is trying to force a move to a women’s prison, insiders claimed.

Jonathon Mallon, 40, told jail bosses he now wants to be called Charlene and has been bragging to fellow lags that he will be in a women’s nick by Easter.

The predator, left, was caged for life in 2014 after a 14-year reign of attacks on a string of vulnerable women.

But concerns have been raised that the high-risk sex offender, currently in HMP Edinburgh, could attack female inmates if he is granted the move.

It comes weeks after the Scottish Government voted down amendments to its controversial gender self-ID laws, which would have stopped perverts changing sex during legal proceedings and after conviction.

An insider said: “Mallon is trying to be a woman and wants to get into the lassies’ hall.

"He wants to be known as Charlene, not Jonathon.

“He’s been saying to people he has changed his name by deed poll and is going to the women’s hall in three months. But I don’t think he is.

“I don’t know how they can put a sex offender who rapes women into a women’s hall. I’m sure prison bosses will see through it.”

He has more faith in the wisdom of prison bosses than I do – but it's only fair to point out that although as noted a ban on sex offenders changing gender was voted down, Gillian Martin's amendment to the bill means that anyone who's been convicted of a sexual offence and then applies for a gender recognition certificate must first undergo a risk assessment. This would allow the police to apply for a sexual harm order if that risk is found to be high, resulting in the certificate being refused.

It depends perhaps on how serious the man is. If he really wants to push hard, he could go for it. Why not? He's got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. This is what Sturgeon's bill allows, theoretically.

Then again it does sound a bit like braggadocio from Mallon – just having a laugh.

Or maybe he's aiming to demonstrate how absurd easy gender affirmation really is….