By Deborah Nnamdi
A British transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for deceiving a man into sexual activity by falsely claiming to be a biological female.
According to a BBC report on Friday, Watkin, 21, from Thornaby in Stockton-on-Tees, was found guilty of sexual assault after a jury rejected her defence that the man “would have realised” her gender identity.
The court heard that Watkin met the victim on Snapchat when both were 18. Using a female cartoon as her profile image, she presented herself as a woman and later met the man in person, leading to sexual contact. Prosecutors said Watkin even claimed to be menstruating to prevent the man from touching her below the waist.
When Watkin later revealed that she was biologically male, the victim said he was “physically sick” and immediately reported the incident to police. He told Durham Crown Court that he would not have consented to the encounter had he known Watkin’s biological sex, adding that he felt “ashamed, embarrassed, and ridiculed” after the deception.
Recorder Peter Makepeace KC, who presided over the case, said he was “certain” the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was a woman due to her “lies and deception.” He described her behaviour as “flippant, disinterested, and bored” during the trial, noting she showed “not a shred of remorse.”
“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 said.
Watkin, who has identified as female since childhood but has not undergone any medical transition, was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and reportedly endured years of bullying. Her defence counsel, Victoria Lamballe, argued that Watkin’s actions stemmed from “shame and discomfort” with her body rather than malice or predation, saying she “simply wanted to be loved.”
Despite this, the court ruled that the victim had been “totally deceived.” Watkin was sentenced to serve her term in a male prison, where authorities said protective measures would be taken to ensure her safety.
She will also remain on the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a lifetime restraining order preventing contact with the victim.
Detective Constable Martin Scotson of Cleveland Police said Watkin “purposely concealed her sex for the sexual activity to take place,” expressing hope that the conviction would help the victim “move forward with his life.”
