A woman posed as a male Army officer on Plenty of Fish before starting an intimate relationship with a female victim in a 'cruel con', a court heard today.
After exchanging messages on the dating website, Blade Silvano – who used the name 'Hunter' – began meeting up with the alleged victim for sex, a jury heard.
However the lights would be switched off or kept low, and 'Hunter' would reject her offer of oral sex and instead go straight to the bathroom afterwards, it was alleged.
On one occasion 'Hunter' – who claimed to be a captain and surgeon in the Army – allegedly claimed 'his' condom had broken during sex.
But 'he' was said to have assured the alleged victim it was 'very unlikely' she would get pregnant, adding: 'Trust me, I'm a doctor.'
Despite noticing her lover sounded a 'little feminine', she 'never thought this was anything other than a man', prosecuting counsel Philip Clemo told Caernarfon Crown Court.
That was until the 'bombshell' revelation when the alleged victim was contacted by her lover's 'wife' and discovered 'Hunter' was actually a woman, he said.
Today Silvano, 44, of no fixed address, went on trial accused of six counts of sexual assault by penetration between November 2022 and the following June.
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
She denies all the charges.
Opening the prosecution case today, Mr Clemo said the victim had only been interested in meeting a man.
They exchanged messages, 'Hunter' made her laugh, and they arranged a date, 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.'
There had been a 'concerted, detailed and entirely deliberate con perpetrated by this defendant over a number of months', he said.
The relationship became sexual, but 'Hunter' would always say that 'he' wanted 'to keep his clothes on', the prosecutor said.
After going back to her home following their second date, penetration was said to have taken place with 'Hunter' behind her before he 'disappeared to 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 a condom had broken during sex, the potentially distressing lie was 'all part of the cruel confidence trick by the defendant', Mr Clemo said.
Eventually the alleged victim began to have doubts about their 'odd' sex life, and 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.
The alleged victim told police during video interviews that she 'felt sick' when she learned Silvano was a woman, saying: 'I thought it was some sort of joke.'
She recalled thinking during the relationship 'I have never felt a d**k like that,' adding: 'I don't know what was used.'
Silvano allegedly wouldn't let her touch 'his' groin during their relationship, claiming it was 'sensitive'.
The woman told police Silvano wanted them to move in together and go on holiday.
But she had told her: 'I want to see where you live and see you naked.'
Silvano maintained to police that the alleged victim knew she was a woman.
The trial continues.
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