UK transgender woman jailed for deceiving man into sex while pretending to be a biological female

A British transgender woman, Ciara Watkin, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison after being found guilty of deceiving a man into sexual activity by pretending to be a biological female.

Durham Crown Court heard that Watkin, 21, from Thornaby in Stockton-on-Tees, misled the victim into believing she was a woman. The victim testified that he would never have consented to any sexual encounter had he known Watkin was biologically male.

Prosecutors told the court that Watkin and the victim met on Snapchat when they were both 18. She used a female cartoon avatar as her profile picture and went to great lengths to maintain her deception, even claiming to be menstruating to prevent physical contact below the waist.

According to BBC report on Friday, when Watkin later admitted she was born male, the victim said he felt “physically sick,” “ashamed,” and “ridiculed” after the revelation became public.

Recorder Peter Makepeace KC, while delivering the sentence, said the victim “fully believed from start to finish” that Watkin was female, describing her conduct as “lies and deception.”

“The victim was totally deceived,” Makepeace said. “You knew he would not have consented had he known the truth. Your actions were calculated and deliberate.”

Watkin, who has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, had identified as female since childhood but had not undergone medical or surgical transition. Her defence counsel, Victoria Lamballe, told the court that her client acted out of “shame and a deep sense of discomfort” about her body rather than malice or predation.

“It is hardly surprising that she built a façade to mask her inner turmoil,” Lamballe said. “She simply wanted to be loved.”

However, the judge criticised Watkin’s lack of remorse, describing her as “flippant and disinterested” throughout the 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,” Makepeace added.

Watkin will serve her sentence in a male prison under protective measures. She has also been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and issued a lifetime restraining order barring contact with the victim.

Detective Constable Martin Scotson of Cleveland Police said the case highlighted “the devastating impact of deception on victims,” expressing hope that the sentence would bring closure to the man involved.

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