Georgia Bilham: Woman who posed as man sentenced for kissing girl

Georgia Bilham said she believed her cover was blown after crashing her mother's car

A woman accused of posing as a man to prey on a short-sighted teenager has been given a community order for sexually assaulting her female victim by kissing.

Georgia Bilham, 21, created an online Snapchat persona in the name of George Parry, Chester Crown Court heard.

"George" always wore a hood over his head - even in bed, her trial heard.

Bilham, of Cheshire, was cleared of all but one of 17 alleged offences. She was given a 24-month community order.

"George" claimed to be "paranoid" because of his involvement with Albanian gangsters.

Bilham said she believed her cover was blown after crashing her mother's car while out for a drive with the teenager on 11 May 2021.

She told jurors she believed a police officer called to the scene revealed her true identity to the complainant.

'Makes my skin crawl'

Bilham, of Bunbury Road, Alpraham, had denied nine sexual assaults and eight counts of assault by penetration between May and August 2021.

The now 20-year-old complainant was severely short-sighted, the court was told.

In a victim impact statement read by prosecutor Anna Pope, the complainant said she was "embarrassed" about what she had been through.

It said: "I feel so stupid and disgusted in myself. It makes my skin crawl. I don't think I will ever come to terms with what has happened."

Sentencing Bilham, Judge Michael Leeming said: "The complainant never gave her true consent to being kissed by you because it was on the basis that you were male."

As well as the community order imposed on Friday, she must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and take part in 35 rehabilitation days.

Bilham was also given a restraining order, must sign the sex offenders' register for five years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order, also for five years.

Mitigating for her, Martine Snowdon said it was clear there had been "deception" but said there was no evidence the defendant had pursued the relationship with the intention of committing a sexual offence.