Federal judge rules inmate convicted of sexually assaulting child should get gender reassignment surgery on taxpayer dime

A federal judge ruled last week that taxpayers are responsible for funding the gender reassignment surgery of a transgender inmate spending decades in federal prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting his own daughter.

Mark Campbell — who now identifies as "Nicole" — began serving a 34-year prison sentence in 2007 after he was convicted of sexually assaulting his 10-year-old daughter.

According to the criminal complaint against Campbell, the child victim told police that Campbell "had sex with her, masturbated in front of her, used various sex toys with her, and exposed her to DVD and video porn movies and magazines."

In 2013, Campbell began to seek gender reassignment surgery, claiming he experienced "gender dysphoria." But the Wisconsin Department of Corrections denied the request, which Campbell's advocates said amounted to cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of Campbell's Eighth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Still, the prison system allowed Campbell certain privileges not extended to other inmates. Campbell was given hormone treatment and is allowed to wear women's clothing despite being locked inside a men's prison.