Woman 'duped girlfriend into believing she was having sex with man'

Cambridge Crown Court

Cambridge Court Court

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Jack Walters

By Jack Walters


Published: 17/05/2023

- 14:28

A 40-year-old woman appeared in court accused of carrying out a “sophisticated” scam to convince her partner she was dating a man

A woman convinced her girlfriend of two years into believing she was having sex with a man, jurors have been told.

Blade Silvano, 40, from Bishop’s Castle in Shropshire, met her partner, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on an online dating site in 2016.


They had sexual intercourse on two separate occasions and even discussed wedding plans, Cambridge Crown Court has heard.

The pair were last in contact in October 2018.

A stock image of a woman using a laptop

A stock image of a woman using a laptop

PA

Silvano is alleged to have used an “unknown item” to penetrate her then-girlfriend, always kept certain items of clothing on when intimate and made her partner wear a blindfold.

Her partner only discovered Silvano’s real gender via Facebook nearly two years later.

The complainant said: “I was able to move my hands freely, the side, his back, I was never able to put my hands underneath his clothes or down his boxers.

“He would rebuff me every time I tried to make an advance, he would nudge me away.

“He was using sex toys on me; it was not allowed the other way round.”

Despite referring to Silvano as “he” throughout the hearing, the partner also told police in an interview: “She denied me the right to consent.

“Everyone has the right to know who they are having sex with and what they are having sex with.

“I consented to have sex with a male, not a female.

“I did not consent to have sex with a female who was penetrating me with something.”

Silvano, who is also accused of giving a different surname, denied both counts of assault by penetration.

Cambridge Crown Court

Cambridge Crown Court

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Her former partner rejected the suggestion that the relationship had been part of “roleplay” or an online “fantasy” during cross-examination.

She also denied claims the pair communicated exclusively online and never met “in the flesh”.

Jurors were told that the pair had spoken about wedding preparations.

The defence argued the discussion was a part of the couple’s roleplay but the victim claimed she sent a photo when trying on a wedding dress to Silvano.

Cambridge Crown Court

Cambridge Crown Court

Google Streetview

Silvano was accused of claiming she served in the British Army as a vet and the pair were due to attend an “officer’s dinner”.

The 40-year-old pulled out of the event after saying she had been injured by a cow.

The alleged victim claimed: “He did say he’d been injured by a cow and then sent me a picture of his leg elevated after going to hospital.”

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