Georgia Bilham: Woman who posed as man convicted of assault over kiss

Georgia Bilham, 21, from Cheshire, was cleared of 16 other sexual offences

A woman accused of posing as a man to prey on a 19-year-old has been found guilty of sexual assault by kissing and cleared of 16 other sexual offences.

Georgia Bilham, 21, of Cheshire, denied deceiving the short-sighted woman while posing as George Parry, a man from Birmingham.

Jurors heard she wore a hood while with the woman, saying she was paranoid because of connections to gangsters.

Bilham will be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on 19 July.

Giving evidence during her trial, Bilham admitted getting caught up in a "web of lies", but said she thought the teenager believed she really was a woman after they met.

The court heard Bilham created "George" on Snapchat, claiming he always had to wear a hood over his head while with the 19-year-old, even in bed, because of paranoia about his involvement with Albanian gangsters.

The mother of the woman told jurors her daughter had seemed "really happy" and had a "spark in her eye" after meeting "George" but had found it strange he kept his hood up whenever they met.

Bilham's identity was only revealed following a car crash.

The pair had gone for a drive together on 11 May 2021, but Bilham crashed her mother's car into a hedge and when police asked for her licence it showed her real name.

She said from that point she believed the teenager knew she was really a woman.

Questioned her sexuality

Bilham, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, admitted to the court that she had always been a bit of a tomboy.

She said she had never wanted to change her gender, but had questioned her sexuality, telling the jury her mother would "not be happy" if she was in a same-sex relationship.

Bilham was convicted on Wednesday of sexually assaulting the girl by kissing her on the evening of the crash.

Adjourning the case for sentencing, Judge Michael Leeming said: "You have been convicted of count one, an allegation of sexual assault.

"I'm going to adjourn sentencing for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

"It should not be taken by you as an indication of a non-custodial sentence - all options are open."

Bilham had denied nine sexual assaults and eight counts of assault by penetration.