Transgender Woman Sentenced To 21 Months For Deceiving Man About Biological Gender
A transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for deceiving a man into believing she was 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. Prosecutors said Watkin met the man on Snapchat when they were both 18, using a female cartoon character as her profile picture. During their encounter, she claimed she was on her period to prevent him from touching her below the waist. When Watkin later disclosed that she was biologically male, the man filed a complaint with the police. He told officers he was “physically sick” upon learning the truth and felt “ashamed and embarrassed” after being “deceived.” Watkin, who has identified as female since childhood but had not undergone any gender-affirming medical treatment, was convicted of sexual assault after a jury rejected her defense that the man “should have realised” her gender identity. Recorder Peter Makepeace KC said the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was female, describing her conduct as “lies and deception.” He also said Watkin displayed a “flippant attitude” and showed no remorse for her actions. In his statement, the victim described himself as a “heterosexual male” who felt part of his masculinity had been “taken away” by the deceit, adding that he had been ridiculed online because of Watkin’s deception.
