MATTHEW MEDLAND AND SHOCKING SEXUAL OFFENCES IN HOLSWORTHY AND BARNSTAPLE

A young man from Holsworthy has been sentenced to prison after a series of disturbing crimes involving a minor and subsequent threats to an adult woman. Matthew Medland, who was nearing his 19th birthday at the time of the offences, engaged in a pattern of grooming and sexual misconduct that has shocked the local community and prompted serious legal action.

The initial allegations stem from Medland’s online interactions with a 13-year-old girl. It was revealed that he began exchanging messages with her when she was only 12 years old, but by the time he persuaded her to meet and engage in sexual activity, she had turned 13. The communication involved him expressing love and affection, even stating his desire for her to have his child once she reached 14. During this period, Medland also coerced her into sending nude selfies, further demonstrating his manipulative behavior.

The situation escalated when her mother became suspicious after overhearing Medland’s voice during a phone call, which made her realize that her daughter was involved with someone significantly older. Concerned, she questioned her daughter, who became distressed and ran to her grandmother’s house. There, she disclosed the full extent of her interactions with Medland, prompting her mother to contact the police. The authorities responded swiftly, and Medland was placed under investigation. His phone was seized for forensic analysis, but during this period, he committed a second serious offence.

Seven months after the initial incident, Medland obtained a video of a 19-year-old woman. He shared this explicit content with a friend and then threatened to post it online unless she agreed to have sex with him. The woman refused and reported the threats to the police, leading to further legal proceedings.

Medland, who resides on St Brannocks Road in Ilfracombe, faced multiple charges including sexual activity with a child, engaging in sexual communication with a minor, creating indecent images of a child, and sending electronic messages intended to cause distress. A more serious charge of blackmail was dropped by the prosecution, but the remaining charges resulted in a significant prison sentence.

At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Timothy Rose sentenced Medland to three years and six months in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender and was subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. This order prohibits him from having any contact with underage girls and grants police the authority to monitor his internet activity to prevent further offences.

During the sentencing, the judge emphasized the gravity of Medland’s actions. He stated, “You were in a chat group with people much younger than yourself and made contact with the victim when she was 12. You knew her age perfectly well because she told you about her 13th birthday. You should have had no contact whatsoever. It was wholly inappropriate with an age gap of six years, which is an important gap at that time of life. There is no doubt you embarked on the process of inveigling yourself into her affections to pursue sexual contact with her. You were insistent and persuasive and there was an element of grooming. It was extremely harmful behaviour. She was your victim. She was in no way an equal participant, which you seem to have thought she was.”

The court also heard about Medland’s conduct towards the second victim. Prosecutor Miss Mary McCarthy described how he started chatting with a woman of his own age in April of this year. He threatened to release a naked video of her unless she had sex with him, having already shared the video with a friend. When she refused, she contacted the police.

Medland’s defense lawyer, Mr. Richard Crabb, described him as “an immature, lonely, inadequate young man who found friendship, and more, with a younger girl because his hopes of a relationship with someone his own age had not materialized.” He also noted that Medland is currently struggling to cope in prison and has begun accessing mental health support for the first time.

This case highlights the serious consequences of online grooming and coercive behavior, especially involving minors. The community remains concerned about the safety of young people and the importance of vigilance in protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation and harm.