Woman jailed after posing as man to trick female partner into sex over two-year relationship, with pair planning to marry
20 December 2023, 15:45
A woman has been jailed after duping a female partner into thinking she was a man and having sex with her over a two-year relationship.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Blade Silvano was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison after being found guilty of two counts of sexual assault in a week-long trial at Cambridge Crown Court.
Silvano and her victim met in 2016 on a dating site. She said she was a man waiting for a woman, and her victim said she was a woman looking for a man.
They met up in Peterborough, where the victim lived, after a few weeks of messaging and began a sexual relationship. Silvano hid her genital area by claiming to be treated for cancer.
Silvano claimed to be a British army officer, and sent the victim pictures of her shaving. The victim thought she was a woman throughout this period.
The relationship developed and the two even planned to get married.
But in 2018 the victim discovered a Facebook profile for Silvano that revealed she was really a woman.
The victim contacted police, telling them that she had not consented to having sex with a woman.
Silvano was convicted after a week-long trial earlier this year. As well as her jail sentence, she was added to the sex offenders' register indefinitely.
Detective Constable Leeza Phillips, who investigated, said: "This was an extraordinary investigation and unlike any case I’ve seen before in Cambridgeshire.
“Silvano carried out the ultimate deception and has caused extreme distress to her victim.
“Without the full facts, the victim was not able to give her consent to a sexual relationship and this whole situation has left her feeling violated and traumatised.
“As this case highlights, we have specially trained officers who are there to support victims and bring offenders to justice.
“I hope the victim and her family can now find some closure from this traumatic period."
