British transgender woman Ciara Watkin sentenced to prison after deceiving man about her biological sex.
A British court has sentenced a transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, to 21 months in prison for deceiving a man into sexual activity by falsely claiming to be a biological female.
Report says, the victim told Durham Crown Court that he would never have consented to the sexual encounter had he known Watkin was biologically male.
The 21-year-old 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 convinced the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was a woman, describing her actions as deliberate “lies and deception.”
Watkin, who had not undergone any gender-transition surgery, met the victim on Snapchat, where she used a female cartoon avatar. Both were 18 at the time. Prosecutors said she pretended to be menstruating to stop the man from touching her below the waist.
When Watkin later revealed she was biologically male, the victim said he felt “physically sick,” ashamed, and ridiculed online after the deception became public.
Defence counsel Victoria Lamballe argued that Watkin’s conduct stemmed from “shame and deep discomfort” with her body, explaining that she had suffered years of bullying and identified as female since childhood.
“It is hardly surprising that Watkin built up a façade to mask the inner turmoil she felt,” Lamballe said, adding that Watkin “simply wanted to be loved.”
However, the judge disagreed, ruling that Watkin’s actions were calculated and that she showed “no remorse” during trial.
“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,” the judge stated.
Watkin will serve her sentence in a male prison, where authorities say safety measures will be in place. She will also 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,” adding that he hoped the conviction would help the victim “move forward with his life.”
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