Woman posing as man found guilty of sexual assault

A Ms Bilham, who posed as a man named George Parry, has been found guilty of sexual assault by kissing and could face imprisonment. Bilham deceived her short-sighted female victim into believing she was in a genuine heterosexual relationship by disguising herself in men's clothing and removing the victim's glasses whenever they were together.

The court heard that Bilham, aged 21, had an online profile under the name "George_132" with a cartoon image of a blonde man wearing sunglasses. The victim and Bilham began messaging online and eventually met in person, with Bilham wearing boys' clothing and keeping her hood pulled over her head to maintain the deception. Bilham went as far as claiming to have connections with an Albanian crime gang to further support her deceit.

During the trial, it was revealed that the victim messaged Bilham after their first meeting, stating that there was something strange about her and subsequently blocking her on Snapchat. However, their online relationship continued, becoming toxic at times. Bilham believed her cover was blown after crashing her mother's car into a hedge during a drive with the victim, thinking that a police officer called to the scene would reveal her true identity.

Bilham was convicted of sexually assaulting the victim by kissing her on the evening of the car accident. She claimed throughout the trial that she believed the victim knew she was a woman when they had sex.

Bilham admitted to being caught up in a web of lies but denied deriving any pleasure from deceiving the victim. Her barrister suggested that her actions were driven by an effort to hide her sexuality from her family and friends.

Following the verdict, Bilham was cleared of eight sexual assaults and eight counts of assault by penetration. However, she will have to sign the sex offender register and is scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on July 19. The judge cautioned her that being released on bail does not indicate that a custodial sentence will not be imposed.