An English woman convicted of sexual assault for pretending to be a man by lying to her girlfriend in order to have sex was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on Wednesday.
“You told one lie after another […] It was a fantasy you lived out for your own selfish pleasure. You continued [la mener en bateau] and it was indescribably cruel. “Their lies were constant,” said Judge Philip Gray on Wednesday at Cambridge Crown Court in England, according to the BBC.
Blade Silvano was convicted in May of sexual assault for “carefully deceiving” his sexual partner by pretending to be a man for more than a year and a half. On Wednesday he went to prison after serving a ten-year sentence.
Court hearings heard the 41-year-old used a “calculated” trick and “careful deception” to hide her true identity – and gender – from her partner, who she met on a dating website, by pretending to be a British soldier.
In particular, to maintain the illusion, the forty-year-old is said to have sent photos in military uniform while pretending to shave. During both of their sexual encounters, she allegedly used a sex toy and hid her genitals under a baggy sweater, the BBC reported.
“You carefully managed your appearance to look like a man. She was convinced she was having sex with a man. You achieved this through a series of careful deceptions. His consent is invalid and [ne vaut rien]» the judge continued without mincing words.
Investigator Leeza Phillips, who is in charge of the case, recalled that the woman's actions caused the victim great concern.
“Without knowing all the facts, the victim was unable to consent to a sexual relationship and this whole situation left her feeling violated and traumatized,” she said.