Transgender woman guilty of sex assaults on man

Ciara Watkin was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault

A transgender woman who lied to a man about being a biological female when she performed sex acts upon him has been found guilty of sexual assault.

Ciara Watkin, 21, who is biologically male, told the man she was on her period to stop him discovering her real sex, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Prosecutors said it was a case of "informed consent", with the man saying he would not have had sexual contact with Watkin, from Thornaby, had he known the defendant's true status.

Watkin, who was referred to in court by female pronouns, had admitted lying but said the man would still have realised she was biologically male. Watkin will be sentenced at a later date.

The defendant, who was born male, had used the name Ciara since the age of 13 although had not undergone any medical treatment or surgery, the court heard.

'Don't swing that way'

The pair, who are the same age, met on Snapchat, on which the accused used a female cartoon character as a profile picture, before meeting in person and going on to have sexual contact, the court heard.

Watkin moved the man's hand away when he went to touch her breast and thigh and told him she was on her period to stop him feeling below her waist, the court heard.

When Watkin later revealed she was biologically male, the man filed a complaint with police telling officers had he known, he would not have met her as he did "not swing that way".

Watkin's lawyers said she saw and presented herself as female but was "visibly and audibly" male, so it would have been "blindingly obvious" to the man that Watkin was not biologically female.

The jury of seven women and five men reached their verdicts after about an hour of deliberations following a two-day trial.

Recorder Peter Makepeace KC said he would need a report from the Probation Service before passing sentence.

He said imprisonment was possible and granted Watkin bail, with sentencing provisionally listed for 10 October.

Watkin must also sign the sex offender register within three days, the judge said.

'Significant mental impact'

Speaking after the trial, Sarah Nelson, senior crown prosecutor at Crown Prosecution Service North East, said it was "clear" that before they had sexual activity, Watkin had "made no attempt to inform" the man of "her transgender status".

"By failing to disclose this to him, it would not have been possible for him to give informed consent to sexual activity," Ms Nelson said.

She said the assaults had had a "a significant impact" on the victim's mental wellbeing.

"We hope that he can take some comfort from seeing Watkin convicted for these serious sexual offences today," Ms Nelson said.