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Jason Spiller was a great guy - loving, caring and generous. His "Mr Perfect" persona caused three young women to be smitten by him and led them to have sex with him.

But there was one small problem - Jason Spiller was actually Jennifer Staines.

Over five years she managed to convince three victims and their families – two of whom were from Bristol - that she was a he.

Staines had sex with them as a man, touching them but not allowing them to touch 'him' in return. She even went on holiday with them as a man and had to hide when using toilets.

She used condoms when sleeping with the girls, although on one occasion one of the girls went to her doctor concerned she could be pregnant.

And when police were alerted they visited Jason and found him to be Jennifer - complete with a rubber penis and associated incriminating DNA.

Bristol Crown Court heard Staines had been looking for love and not sex.

Staines, 23, of Moreland Avenue, Lockstock Hall, Preston, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and two counts of possessing indecent photos of one victim.

She also admitted two sexual assaults on a second victim and three sexual assaults on a third.

But Judge Barry Cotter QC told her he wasn't clear what she had looked for when she conned the girls.

Jailing her for 39 months, the judge told her: "You planned carefully to deceive.

"You did everything to ensure you had the ability to engage in relationships in which they believed you were a gender you were not.

"I can't determine whether it was for love, love and sex, or just sex."

Staines sobbed in the dock as Fiona Elder, prosecuting, recounted the whole, bizarre saga at Bristol Crown Court.

One victim and her family listened intently, as did members of Staines' family and her girlfriend.

Miss Elder said: "These matters came to light in September 2014.

"There was a call to police from the mother of (one victim), concerned that her daughter had been involved with a female impersonating a male.

"Police spoke to (the victim) and identified two others.

"All three described intimacy as 'normal', a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship over time between them and a young man called Jason Spiller, from Preston."

Miss Elder gave an account of how Staines deceived each victim, in chronological order.

The first girl was from Bristol was aged 13, and Staines 17, when they chatted via social media.

Miss Elder said: "She found Jason a helpful and sympathetic ear. They became closer. They got together as girlfriend and boyfriend."

The pair talked via webcam, with Jason always wearing a hat, before he turned up in Bristol with gifts and was allowed to stay with her for five days.

Though he wanted sex, the youngster said she wasn't ready.

Later Jason was allowed to stay again and they "snogged" – but the court heard how Jason became controlling and the relationship deteriorated.

Though people online referred to Jason as a girl, his true gender remained a secret – even though he was found with a sanitary towel in his bag.

Police found the girl sent Jason naked and topless photos of herself.

The second victim, from Scarborough, was aged 17 and Staines 21 when they engaged in a sexual relationship.

The court heard Jason would never take his clothes off and wore a chest bandage because of stab scars.

When the victim found a photo for "Jenny Staines", Jason said it was his twin sister.

When Jason's mum phoned up, asking for Jenny, Jason said his twin had gone missing.

Miss Elder said: "(The victim) was not allowed to do anything to him. He said he was circumcised and it was painful to be touched.

"His T-shirt was always kept on and his boxer shorts were always kept on during sex, which occurred some 15 times."

The court heard full sex with condoms occurred in the dark, but "didn't feel right".

At one stage the girl consulted her doctor because she thought she may be pregnant, the court heard.

When the girl touched Jason's crotch there were socks in his boxer shorts, Miss Elder said.

The third victim, from Bristol, was 17 and Staines was 22 when Jason touched her intimately and used what was described in court as a 'imitation penis' on her - while she was unaware it was a sex toy being used.

Though the girl's family was adamant Jason was a girl, the victim was upset by this and talked about having children with him.

Stephen Mooney, defending, said his client had had gender dysphoria - the condition of feeling one's emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to one's biological sex.

He said Staines was now in a lesbian relationship.

He told the court: "The behaviour demonstrated by Jennifer Staines was behaviour which was motivated not by desire for sex. It was a desire for love and affection."

After the court case, investigating officer Detective Constable Nadine Partridge said: "Jennifer Staines deceived and manipulated her victims into believing she was a young man, which is an appalling breach of trust.

"Her actions were driven by her own selfish desires and, although her victims "consented" to sexual activity with her, they were deceived about the true nature of what they were engaging in.

"The manipulation was so extreme that one of her victims still struggles to believe she was actually in a relationship with a woman, not a man.

"The victims and their families have been through a traumatic ordeal and they've found the courage to support the police investigation from the outset. I hope this outcome will help them move on with their lives.

"I believe there may be more victims out there so I'd encourage anyone who feels they may have been contacted by Jennifer Staines, posing as Jason, to come forward and speak to us. We're here to listen, believe and support you."