A transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for deceiving a man about being biologically female before engaging in sexual activity with him.
Durham Crown Court heard that Watkin, 21, from Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, misled the victim, who said he would never have consented had he known she was born male.
Watkin, who has identified as female since childhood but had not undergone any medical transition, was convicted of sexual assault after jurors rejected her claim that the man “would have realised” her biological status.
Judge Peter Makepeace KC said he was convinced the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was a woman, describing her actions as “lies and deception.” He added that Watkin showed little remorse and behaved “flippantly” about the harm caused.
Prosecutor Paul Reid told the court that Watkin met the victim on Snapchat when they were both 18, using a female cartoon avatar as her profile photo. She later claimed she was on her period to prevent him from touching her below the waist.
The deception came to light when Watkin eventually revealed she was biologically male, prompting the man to report the incident to police.
In a victim statement, the man said he felt “physically sick” and “ashamed” upon learning the truth, adding that he had been mocked online and felt part of his masculinity was taken away. He stressed that he was a “heterosexual male” who would never have agreed to any sexual contact if he had known Watkin’s background.
