A woman is accused of posing as a male Army officer on the dating app Plenty of Fish in a deception that led to a sexual relationship with a female victim, a court has heard.
Blade Silvano, 44, allegedly used the name 'Hunter' and cultivated a relationship with the victim, Caernarfon Crown Court was told. The prosecution claims Silvano presented herself as a biological male with a penis throughout their communications and encounters between November 2022 and June 2023.
Prosecuting counsel Philip Clemo told the jury that the victim was only interested in meeting men. After exchanging messages, the victim and 'Hunter' arranged to meet for sex. During their encounters, 'Hunter' would allegedly keep the lights dim or off, reject oral sex, and immediately go to the bathroom afterward. On one occasion, 'Hunter,' who claimed to be a captain and surgeon in the Army, reportedly stated that a condom had broken during sex but assured the victim it was unlikely she would get pregnant, saying, "Trust me, I'm a doctor."
Despite noting that her lover sounded "a little feminine," the victim reportedly never suspected 'Hunter' was a woman. The alleged deception was revealed when the victim was contacted by Silvano's "wife" and discovered 'Hunter' was female.
Silvano denies six counts of sexual assault by penetration. The prosecution described the situation as a "concerted, detailed and entirely deliberate con perpetrated by this defendant over a number of months." The alleged victim told police she "felt sick" upon learning Silvano was a woman and initially thought it was a joke. She recalled during the relationship thinking, "I have never felt a d**k like that. I don't know what was used."
During the relationship, Silvano allegedly would not allow the victim to touch 'his' groin, claiming it was "sensitive." Silvano has maintained to the police that the alleged victim knew she was a woman. The trial is ongoing.