A transgender woman who failed to disclose that she had a penis to a man she was having a sexual encounter with, has been convicted of sexual assault. Ciara Watkin, 21, has been found guilty of multiple charges relating to sexual acts that she performed on the 21-year old man during a brief courtship in June 2022.
The sexual assault charges were brought after Watkin failed to disclose her transgender status to the man, which meant that he could not have given informed consent to the sexual activity between them. Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair initially met over social media website Snapchat, exchanging messages over a couple of weeks before meeting at a house in Thornaby, North Yorks. After drinking and chatting, the pair went to the bedroom of the property where Watkin told the defendant that she was on her period, preventing him from touching her below the waist as she performed sexual acts upon him. A few days later, Watkin attended the victim’s home where further sexual activity took place.
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Watkin, of Stockton-on-Tees, later contacted her date to reveal “a massive secret” adding: “I’m trans. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
The man messaged back: ‘WTF. So you have a d***?”
In a police interview played in court, the alleged victim said: “All the way throughout she made out she was fully a girl.”
He added: “We were drinking. We sat there for a while just chatting. We decided to go into the bedroom which is when everything happened.
“Throughout the full time, she was telling me she was on her period. It was like as far as I was concerned she was a female.”
Asked how he felt about what had happened, the man said: “It makes me feel like it’s taken away my manhood. I see it as something that upsets me. I’m just trying to hide my emotions. At first I did just have an emotional breakdown.”
Teesside Crown Court, Middlesbrough (Image: Evening Gazette)
In his evidence the victim told how Watkin had asked him to come into the bathroom when using the toilet and asked for the light to be switched off so it was “pitch black”. The jury heard that Watkin had moved his hand from the defendant’s breast and thigh.
Victoria Lamballe, defending Watkin, said the 21-year-old has had no gender reassignment surgery and had stuffed clothing inside of a bra.
The jury was told that it was some time after the pair had met that Watkin revealed over the phone the ‘surprise’ about being transgender.
In his police interview, the victim told officers: “That’s when she went and told me she was transgender but obviously still has a penis. I was shocked. If I knew she had a penis I wouldn’t have got with her.”
He told officers he “didn’t swing that way”.
Teesside Crown Court and the Bottle of Notes, Middlesbrough, Teesside. 01.0 (Image: Evening Gazette)
Ms Lamballe asked the man: “Is it really your position that at no point in the course of these hours that it never occurred to you that she may not be female?”
Watkin, who used a female cartoon avatar as a profile picture, said in evidence that the question of gender had never been discussed. Watkin, who wants to transition in the future, told the jury about wanting to be a female from the age of seven but hasn’t physically transitioned, “because I was on drugs”.
She confirmed being born male and named “Kieran.” When asked by her defence barrister what happened in the bedroom during the first date, Watkin said that when the man touched the defendant’s chest: “I moved his hand, because I’m trans, aren’t I.”
She said they subsequently had five sexual encounters and had enjoyed “twerking” on the bed.
Recorder Peter Makepeace KC thanked the jury for their consideration of these “serious matters” and said he will pass sentence on October 10.
He ordered a pre-sentence report and said a psychiatric report may also be needed.
Watkin was granted bail but the judge said “jail was the overwhelming likelihood”.
The judge urged the prison authorities to consider the “very real management issues” that jailing the defendant will pose.
Sarah Nelson, senior crown prosecutor at CPS North East, said: “It is clear from the evidence in this case that, prior to engaging in sexual activity with the victim, Watkin had made no attempt to inform him of her transgender status.
“The Crown Prosecution Service has shown that, by failing to disclose this to him, it would not have been possible for him to give informed consent to sexual activity.
“The victim has made clear in police interview that he would not have engaged in sexual activity had he known that Watkin was transgender and, consequently, these events have had a significant impact on his mental wellbeing.
“We hope that he can take some comfort from seeing Watkin convicted for these serious sexual offences today.”
Watkin will be sentenced on 10th October at Teesside Crown Court.