A transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison by a British court for deceiving a man into sexual activity by falsely claiming to be a biological female.
According to a BBC report on Friday, the victim told Durham Crown Court he would not have consented to the sexual encounter had he known Watkin was biologically male.
The court heard that Watkin, 21, from Thornaby in Stockton-on-Tees, was convicted of sexual assault after jurors rejected her claim that the man “would have realised” her gender identity.
Recorder Peter Makepeace KC said he was “certain” the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was a woman, noting that the deception was deliberate and sustained.
Watkin, who was born male but had identified as female since childhood, had not undergone any medical transition or gender-affirming surgery.
Both Watkin and the victim were 18 when they met on Snapchat, where she used a female cartoon character as her profile picture.
They later met in person, leading to sexual contact. Prosecutor Paul Reid told the court that Watkin even claimed to be menstruating to stop the man from touching her below the waist.
When Watkin later revealed the truth, the man said he was “physically sick” and immediately reported the incident to police.
He told the court he felt humiliated, ashamed, and ridiculed online, describing the experience as a blow to his masculinity.
Defence counsel Victoria Lamballe said Watkin’s actions were not “predatory or sadistic,” arguing that they stemmed from “shame and a deep sense of discomfort” with her own body.
She noted that Watkin, who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, had identified as female from a young age and suffered years of bullying.
“It is hardly surprising that Watkin built up a façade to mask the inner turmoil she feels at having been born into the wrong body,” Lamballe said, adding that her client “simply wanted to be loved.”
However, the judge ruled that the deception was intentional. “You lied to get away with it and were fully aware the victim would not have consented had he known your biological sex,” Makepeace said, describing Watkin as showing “not a shred of remorse” during the trial.
He added, “At the heart of this case was your frustration at wanting sexual experiences with heterosexual males, which, by definition, required deception.”
Watkin will serve her sentence in a male prison, where authorities say protective measures will be taken to ensure her safety.
She will also remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years and has been issued a lifetime restraining order barring contact with the victim.
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Detective Constable Martin Scotson of Cleveland Police said Watkin “purposely concealed her sex in order for the sexual activity to take place,” adding that he hoped the conviction would help the victim move forward with his life.
