Woman who posed as a man to con victim into sex is jailed

Blade Silvano used ‘careful deception’ to convince her victim she was a man

Blade Silvano (CPS)

A woman who pretended to be a man so she could have sex with another woman has been jailed.

Blade Silvano made a fake profile and posted pictures of herself looking like a man when she met her victim online in 2016, a judge told Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.

Silvano used “careful deception” to convince her victim she was a man, twice having sex with her using a sex toy and concealing her lower half with an oversized t-shirt.

She continued to mislead her victim in an “unspeakably cruel” manner for around 18 months, claiming she was a British military officer, sending pictures of herself appearing to wet shave, and even suggesting she wanted to get married.

Her victim “saw a future” with Silvano but was left “horrified” when she finally discovered her true identity on Facebook.

Blade Silvano ( )

Silvano, of Bishop’s Castle, Shropshire, was found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration during a trial at the same court last May.

Silvano claimed to have never met the victim, telling a jury the relationship was based on fantasy and online roleplay.

Judge Philip Grey described her “transparently dishonest account” as “remarkable and at times laughable”.

He sentenced her to 10 years and six months imprisonment on Wednesday and placed her on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Judge Grey said it was not a case of gender dysphoria but of using “deceit and lies” to achieve sexual gratification, describing Silvano’s actions as “calculated”.

He said: “You managed your appearance carefully to look like a man.

“You deliberately set out to deceive her (and) did so in the most reprehensible way.

“She was convinced she was having sex with a man. You achieved this with a series of careful deceptions. Her consent is null and void.

“During the course of that relationship, you told lie after lie. You told her you were a British army officer and you were not nor have you ever been.

“You sent pictures of you in military fatigues and appearing to wet shave.

“This was a fantasy you were playing out for your own selfish enjoyment.

“You continued to string her along and that was unspeakably cruel. Your lying was constant.

“In August you suggested to her that you wanted to get married. She tried on wedding dresses with her sister.

“She was understandably horrified when she discovered what happened.”

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.”