British transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for deceiving a man into sexual activity by falsely presenting herself as a biological female.
According to a BBC report on Friday, Watkin, 21, from Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, was convicted of sexual assault at Durham Crown Court after jurors rejected her claim that the victim “would have realised” she was not biologically female.
The victim told the court he would not have consented to the sexual encounter had he known Watkin was born male. The court also heard that Watkin used deception to maintain the false identity, including claims of menstruation to prevent physical contact below the waist.
Recorder Peter Makepeace KC said the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was a woman, describing her behaviour as “lies and deception.”
Both Watkin and the victim were 18 when they met on Snapchat, where she used a female cartoon character as her profile picture. The victim said he became “physically sick” upon learning the truth and reported the matter to police, telling the court he felt “ashamed, embarrassed, and ridiculed.”
Defence counsel Victoria Lamballe argued that Watkin’s actions stemmed from “shame and a deep sense of discomfort” linked to gender dysphoria, not predatory intent. She said Watkin, who identified as female from childhood, had faced years of bullying and “simply wanted to be loved.”
However, Recorder Makepeace said Watkin showed “not a shred of remorse” during the trial, describing her as “flippant, disinterested, and bored.” He added, “At the heart of this case was your frustration at wanting sexual experiences with heterosexual males, which, by definition, you needed to deceive to achieve.”
Watkin will serve her sentence in a male prison, with authorities pledging protective measures for her safety. She will remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years and is under a lifetime restraining order preventing contact with the victim.
Detective Constable Martin Scotson of Cleveland Police said Watkin “purposely concealed her sex in order for the sexual activity to take place,” expressing hope that the conviction would allow the victim to “move forward with his life.”
