TORQUAY MAN MATTHEW MILTON SENTENCED FOR GROOMING 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN DEVON
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Torquay and the wider Devon area, Matthew Milton, aged 38, has been sentenced to prison after a series of heinous acts involving a 14-year-old girl.The incident came to light after a period of grooming and manipulation that spanned over a year, during which Milton engaged in a pattern of inappropriate communication and physical encounters with the young victim.
Milton, who is currently without a fixed address, was found to have initiated contact with the girl through text messages in March 2021.
Over time, these messages escalated from seemingly innocent exchanges to explicit and sexual content, marking the beginning of a disturbing grooming process.
The girl’s family became increasingly suspicious when they noticed unusual activity involving money being transferred into her bank account.
This suspicion was further confirmed when authorities discovered an image of Milton’s genitals on her phone, along with a semi-naked photograph of the girl herself.
The abuse involved Milton inviting the girl to his home in South Devon on three separate occasions.
During these visits, he engaged in kissing her and participating in sexual acts, which he later admitted.
The court heard that Milton had also offered the girl drugs, specifically a Class A substance, which she refused because she found it to taste toxic.
Despite her refusal, Milton paid her money into her bank account, claiming it was for buying clothes and other items.
Her parents, however, grew suspicious of these transactions, leading to an investigation that uncovered the extent of Milton’s misconduct.
The victim’s impact statement revealed the profound psychological toll the grooming and abuse had taken on her.
She described feeling exploited by a much older man and expressed the lasting emotional scars left by the ordeal.
Her statement underscored the severity of the trauma inflicted by Milton’s actions.
Milton pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual communications with a child, and possessing an indecent image of a child.
The court heard that he was under the influence of alcohol during some of these encounters and that he had paid significant sums into the girl’s bank account, which was corroborated by the examination of his mobile devices.
At Exeter Crown Court, Judge Robert Linford sentenced Milton to four years in prison.
Additionally, he was ordered to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and was issued a ten-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
This order restricts his future contact with children and grants authorities the ability to monitor his online activity to prevent further harm.
The judge condemned Milton’s actions, stating, ‘You cultivated, nurtured and exploited a wholly inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
Your messages changed from appropriate and legitimate to completely inappropriate.
You exchanged sexual messages and indecent photographs, and invited her to your home on three occasions.
You took drugs and accept that you offered her drugs, but you say she did not take them.
You were also under the influence of alcohol.
You paid significant sums into her bank account and three transfers were found when the mobile phones were examined and the messages found.’
