Trans woman 'hid genitalia before sex act' as alleged victim claims 'manhood taken'

An alleged victim of sexual assault said he felt like his "manhood" was taken away after finding out his Snapchat date was transgender. Teesside Crown Court was told how Ciara Watkin, now 21, performed sex acts on a man in Thornaby, North Yorkshire, without informing him about her biological gender.

The man met Ciara Watkin after they had exchanged messages on the social media app. He alleged he did not realise that Watkin was transgender when the acts took place, and prosecutors said Watkin told the man she was on her period to prevent him from discovering she was biologically male.

Prosecuting lawyer Paul Reid said the case revolved around "informed consent", as the man later told police he would not have had a relationship with Ms Watkin if he had known she was biologically male, reported the BBC.

Lawyers for Ms Watkin said she accepted lying, but said it was "blindingly obvious" to him that she was biologically male and claimed he only complained as a response to being mocked by his friends.

Watkin faced two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration, which she denied, reported Teesside Live.

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."

Mr Reid said that while Ms Watkin performed sex acts upon the man, she moved his hand when he went to grab her breast and thigh, and told him she was on her period to keep him from touching below her waist.

Talking about his feelings towards the event, he 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."

The court was told the defendant was born male but had identified as female and used the name Ciara since the age of 13, and had not had gender reassignment surgery. Ms Watkin told the man over the phone about being transgender some time after they had met.

In his police interview, he 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."

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?" He responded: "I thought she was a female."

The court was told that Ms Watkin admitted to police she had not initially revealed to the man she was born male. She had told them she did not do so because it was "hard for [her] to find relationships".

"She agreed that sexual activity had taken place," Mr Reid said, outlining the prosecution's case.

The trial continues.