A transgender woman has been found guilty of sexual assault after failing to disclose her biological sex to a man she met on a date.
Ciara Watkin, 21, was convicted at Teesside Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration. Prosecutors said she deliberately concealed the fact that she still had male genitalia, preventing the victim from giving informed consent.
The court heard that Watkin and the man initially connected via Snapchat, where her profile featured a female avatar. The two later spent the night together, during which Watkin performed sexual acts but prevented him from touching her, claiming she was on her period.
In a police interview, the victim said: “All the way throughout she made out she was fully a girl… As far as I was concerned, she was female.” He explained that he only discovered the truth when Watkin later admitted she was transgender, describing the revelation as “shocking” and emotionally distressing.
Sarah Nelson, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS North East, said: “It is clear from the evidence that, prior to engaging in sexual activity, Watkin made no attempt to inform the victim of her transgender status. By failing to disclose this, it was not possible for him to give informed consent.”
Nelson added that the victim had made it clear he would not have engaged in sexual activity had he known, and that the incident has had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing.
Watkin, from Teesside, has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on October 10.
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