A British judge on Friday sentenced 21-year-old Ciara Watkin to 21 months in prison for sexually assaulting a man after he concealed that he was biologically male during a sexual act.
Prosecutors said Watkin lied about being “on [his] period” to stop the 18-year-old from touching him below the waist, then later texted a “massive secret” disclosure that Watkin was transgender — prompting the victim to report the deception to police. A jury convicted Watkin in August of two counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration. (RELATED: Attempted Kavanaugh Assassin’s Family Members Beg Judge For Lenient Sentence Due To His Transgender Identity)
Teesside Crown Court heard Watkin hadn’t undergone any sex-change surgery, and instead padded a bra with clothing, The Sun reported.
“This case is about true consent and the victim not being informed of exactly what he was consenting to,” Detective Constable Martin Scotson said after the hearing, adding that Watkin “purposely concealed [his] sex” and the victim would not have agreed had he known the truth, according to The Sun.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the failure to disclose “meant that he could not have given informed consent,” describing messages and testimony that Watkin never revealed being transgender before performing sex acts in June 2022.
The pair first connected on Snapchat, The Sun reported, where Watkin used a female cartoon avatar as a profile photo before they met in person.
The victim said he was “physically sick” when Watkin later revealed the “massive secret” in a statement read in court, adding he felt “ashamed and embarrassed” and had been “ridiculed online” because of the deception. He said he “doesn’t swing that way.”
Recorder Peter Makepeace said he was “certain” the teenager believed Watkin was a woman “from start to finish” and emphasized the deception drove the offenses, according to the BBC. Watkin must also register as a sex offender for 10 years and is barred for life from contacting the victim.
