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| Woman who posed as boy to sexually assault up to 50 girls is jailed | Woman who posed as boy to sexually assault up to 50 girls is jailed |
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| Gemma Watts pleads guilty to seven sexual assault and grooming charges | Gemma Watts pleads guilty to seven sexual assault and grooming charges |
| A woman who posed as a teenage boy to groom and sexually assault up to 50 girls has been jailed for eight years. | A woman who posed as a teenage boy to groom and sexually assault up to 50 girls has been jailed for eight years. |
| Gemma Watts, 21, travelled the country by train to meet the girls, who believed they were in a relationship with a boy close to their own age. | Gemma Watts, 21, travelled the country by train to meet the girls, who believed they were in a relationship with a boy close to their own age. |
| Disguised with her long hair tied into a bun and wearing a baseball cap, baggy jogging bottoms and a hoodie, Watts convinced them she was 16-year-old “Jake Waton”. She used her own picture on Jake’s Snapchat and Instagram accounts, targeting girls aged 14 to 16 by liking their profiles. | Disguised with her long hair tied into a bun and wearing a baseball cap, baggy jogging bottoms and a hoodie, Watts convinced them she was 16-year-old “Jake Waton”. She used her own picture on Jake’s Snapchat and Instagram accounts, targeting girls aged 14 to 16 by liking their profiles. |
| Watts, who lived at home with her mother in Enfield, north London, shared skateboarding videos, used teenage slang and flattered them with complimentary messages, calling them “babe” or other pet names. | Watts, who lived at home with her mother in Enfield, north London, shared skateboarding videos, used teenage slang and flattered them with complimentary messages, calling them “babe” or other pet names. |
| She swapped messages with victims, including intimate photographs, using WhatsApp, Snapchat, or text, and spoke on the phone before meeting them in person. | She swapped messages with victims, including intimate photographs, using WhatsApp, Snapchat, or text, and spoke on the phone before meeting them in person. |
| Watts was so convincing that she even spent time as Jake with some of the girls’ parents. All of Watts’ victims believed they were in a relationship with a teenage boy until police revealed she was in fact an adult woman. | Watts was so convincing that she even spent time as Jake with some of the girls’ parents. All of Watts’ victims believed they were in a relationship with a teenage boy until police revealed she was in fact an adult woman. |
| The judge, Susan Evans, said there had been significant planning and elements of Watts’s behaviour were predatory. All the girls she had targeted were vulnerable and some had previously been bullied and had low self-esteem. | The judge, Susan Evans, said there had been significant planning and elements of Watts’s behaviour were predatory. All the girls she had targeted were vulnerable and some had previously been bullied and had low self-esteem. |
| The judge said it was worrying that even after being warned by police, Watts continued to groom and meet girls. “It seems that nothing deterred you,” she said. | The judge said it was worrying that even after being warned by police, Watts continued to groom and meet girls. “It seems that nothing deterred you,” she said. |
| Evans accepted Watts had a low IQ, was immature, had issues about her own sexuality and had no previous convictions. But she said some of the abuse was sustained and some victims had suffered severe psychological harm. | Evans accepted Watts had a low IQ, was immature, had issues about her own sexuality and had no previous convictions. But she said some of the abuse was sustained and some victims had suffered severe psychological harm. |
| Winchester crown court heard that Watts groomed girls as young as 13. On at least one occasion, Watts stuffed rolled-up socks into her shorts to trick a victim into thinking she had a penis and lied that her breasts were “man boobs” because she had previously been overweight. The court heard she physically assaulted one victim and once held a knife towards her throat. | Winchester crown court heard that Watts groomed girls as young as 13. On at least one occasion, Watts stuffed rolled-up socks into her shorts to trick a victim into thinking she had a penis and lied that her breasts were “man boobs” because she had previously been overweight. The court heard she physically assaulted one victim and once held a knife towards her throat. |
| After discovering they had been tricked, some of the victims said they had self-harmed, contemplated killing themselves and found it difficult to trust anyone. One said: “She’s in my head … I think what she has done to me is gross, horrible.” Another said she felt physically sick when she found out she had been deceived and had moved college because she believed Watts would track her down. | After discovering they had been tricked, some of the victims said they had self-harmed, contemplated killing themselves and found it difficult to trust anyone. One said: “She’s in my head … I think what she has done to me is gross, horrible.” Another said she felt physically sick when she found out she had been deceived and had moved college because she believed Watts would track her down. |
| One victim saw images of Watts without her disguise. Watts initially claimed the picture was her cousin and then claimed it was Jake trying out women’s clothing. When a victim asked Watts why Jake’s bedroom was pink, she said it used to be a female relative’s room. | One victim saw images of Watts without her disguise. Watts initially claimed the picture was her cousin and then claimed it was Jake trying out women’s clothing. When a victim asked Watts why Jake’s bedroom was pink, she said it used to be a female relative’s room. |
| After she was arrested, Watts told police she saw it as a game and claimed: “I was only trying to cheer them up.” Barnaby Shaw, prosecuting, said: “It is apparent she was adept at manipulating people.” | After she was arrested, Watts told police she saw it as a game and claimed: “I was only trying to cheer them up.” Barnaby Shaw, prosecuting, said: “It is apparent she was adept at manipulating people.” |
| Defending, Patrick Maggs said Watts, who had no previous convictions, had a low IQ and was struggling with her gender and sexuality. | Defending, Patrick Maggs said Watts, who had no previous convictions, had a low IQ and was struggling with her gender and sexuality. |
| DC Phillipa Kenwright from the Metropolitan police said: “It’s been life-changing for all of the victims involved. They believed they were in a relationship with a young teenage boy, to then find out this was actually a female. | DC Phillipa Kenwright from the Metropolitan police said: “It’s been life-changing for all of the victims involved. They believed they were in a relationship with a young teenage boy, to then find out this was actually a female. |
| “For some of these girls it was their first relationship … She’s duped them the whole time. A lot of these victims are young, quite innocent. They have been completely taken in by Gemma Watts. They all believed they were in a relationship with a male.” | “For some of these girls it was their first relationship … She’s duped them the whole time. A lot of these victims are young, quite innocent. They have been completely taken in by Gemma Watts. They all believed they were in a relationship with a male.” |
| Investigators have identified a total of seven victims, some of whom do not want to give a statement. | Investigators have identified a total of seven victims, some of whom do not want to give a statement. |
| But DC Kenwright said: “I think there will be further victims, who were in a relationship with Watts, who will now realise she is a woman. I think there could be 20 to 50. I think she had been grooming other young victims online using social media profiles, which are very believable.” | But DC Kenwright said: “I think there will be further victims, who were in a relationship with Watts, who will now realise she is a woman. I think there could be 20 to 50. I think she had been grooming other young victims online using social media profiles, which are very believable.” |
| Watts first came to the attention of Hampshire police in March 2018 after a doctor raised concerns that a girl was in a relationship with an older boy. | Watts first came to the attention of Hampshire police in March 2018 after a doctor raised concerns that a girl was in a relationship with an older boy. |
| The Met got involved in July that year after the defendant admitted she had been sexually active as Jake with the first three victims. | The Met got involved in July that year after the defendant admitted she had been sexually active as Jake with the first three victims. |
| She was released under investigation by Hampshire police but arrested again in October 2018 by British Transport Police officers, who found her with the fourth girl, from the West Midlands, after the victim was reported missing by her parents. | |
| Officers had initially believed Watts was 16-year-old Jake and were taking her home to London before making the link. | Officers had initially believed Watts was 16-year-old Jake and were taking her home to London before making the link. |
| Scotland Yard secured a civil sexual risk order in November 2018, in an effort to protect the public, which Watts breached just two weeks later. | Scotland Yard secured a civil sexual risk order in November 2018, in an effort to protect the public, which Watts breached just two weeks later. |
| She was held on remand after being arrested for sexual assault in March last year but was free again in August when she was acquitted. | She was held on remand after being arrested for sexual assault in March last year but was free again in August when she was acquitted. |
| Watts was finally charged in September and pleaded guilty to seven offences of sexual assault and grooming against 14- and 15-year-old girls in November. | Watts was finally charged in September and pleaded guilty to seven offences of sexual assault and grooming against 14- and 15-year-old girls in November. |