A woman allegedly posed as a male Army officer on Plenty of Fish before entering an intimate relationship with a female victim in what prosecutors described as a “cruel con”, a court heard.
After communicating through the dating website, Blade Silvano, using the name “Hunter”, began meeting the woman for sex, jurors were told.
The alleged victim said the lights were either switched off or kept dim during their encounters. “Hunter” allegedly refused her offer of oral sex and went straight to the bathroom afterwards.
On one occasion, “Hunter”, who claimed to be an Army captain and surgeon, allegedly said that “his” condom had split during sex.
“He” is said to have reassured the alleged victim that pregnancy was “very unlikely”, adding: “Trust me, I’m a doctor.”
Although she noticed that her lover’s voice sounded “a little feminine”, the woman said she “never thought this was anything other than a man”, prosecuting counsel Philip Clemo told Caernarfon Crown Court.
That changed when the alleged victim received a “bombshell” message from her lover’s “wife” and discovered that “Hunter” was actually a woman, the court heard.
Silvano, 44, of no fixed address, went on trial today accused of six counts of sexual assault by penetration alleged to have taken place between November 2022 and June of the following year.
Blade Silvano, 44, pictured ahead of an earlier court hearing, is accused of posing as a man called Hunter and starting an intimate relationship in a “cruel con” against a female victim
Silvano denies all the charges.
Opening the prosecution case, Mr Clemo said the alleged victim had only wanted to meet a man.
The pair exchanged messages, and “Hunter” made her laugh before they arranged to meet, jurors were told.
Mr Clemo said: “At all times during the early conversations and during the relationship which was to follow, the defendant held herself out to be a biological man, a person with a penis. That was a lie.”
The prosecutor said the defendant had carried out a “concerted, detailed and entirely deliberate con” over several months.
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The relationship became sexual, but “Hunter” allegedly insisted that “he” wanted “to keep his clothes on”, the court heard.
After the woman returned to her home following their second date, penetration allegedly took place with “Hunter” behind her before “he” went into the bathroom.
“When ‘he’ came out, ‘he’ said ‘he’ had to go to work because one of the doctors hadn’t shown up, and apologised profusely,” the prosecutor said.
“Whatever it was Blade Silvano penetrated her with, she needed to conceal it.”
When “Hunter” later told the alleged victim that a condom had broken, Mr Clemo said the distressing claim was “all part of the cruel confidence trick by the defendant”.
The alleged victim eventually began questioning their “odd” sex life and wondering whether they had been having sex at all.
“Whatever concerns she had, she never thought this was anything other than a man,” Mr Clemo added.
During video interviews with police, the woman said she “felt sick” when she discovered Silvano was female, adding: “I thought it was some sort of joke.”
She recalled thinking during the relationship: “I have never felt a d**k like that,” and said: “I don’t know what was used.”
Silvano allegedly refused to let her touch “his” groin, claiming it was “sensitive”.
The woman told police that Silvano had discussed them moving in together and going on holiday.
However, she said she had told Silvano: “I want to see where you live and see you naked.”
Silvano told police that the alleged victim had known she was a woman.
The trial continues.
