April 2021 Thrapston paedophile spared from prison after breaching sex offender register rules A paedophile who was once jailed for luring young girls into his driving instructor car and filming sexual abuse has been spared from being sent back to prison. Matthew Ottley, of Midland Road in Thrapston, was put on the register for sex offenders for life after he was locked up in 2016 for his horrific actions which took place in Kent. He picked his victims up outside a school and drove them in his AA car to a rural lane to act out his twisted fantasies. The paedophile, who once ran his own driving school called ‘I Drive Safely’, then threatened the girls that he would put a clip of the abuse on YouTube if they told anyone. AA suspended him at the time and then severed all ties with him when he was convicted of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography. After serving half of his four-and-a-half year prison sentence he was freed and, under the sex offender registration requirements, was required to notify police of details such has his address, bank cards and phone numbers, as well as registering annually so he could be properly monitored. Breaching the requirements is a crime in itself which can be punished by up to five years in prison. But between April 2018 and June 2020 he committed eight breaches – seven relating to bank cards he didn’t register and one relating to a late annual notification. On Thursday (April 22) Northampton Crown Court heard the 45-year-old registered his Thrapston address in April 2019, but not credit cards. A year later attempts were made to contact him for his annual notification, which were unsuccessful. Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard said: “On June 10 it seems his offender manager attended Thrapston to arrest him. “He approached him as he was getting into his car, arrested him and he was taken into his house for a search. “In his wallet were three cards which had not been registered.” The court heard he claimed he had forgotten about them and was taken to a police station, where he gave no comment answers. He later said he thought he wasn’t due to register his annual details again until October. When he was told he was in breach of the requirements he replied: “Okay. Mitigating, Ellena Forman said Ottley, who wore a Union Jack face covering and took a black holdall into the dock, fully accepted his guilt but was “somewhat confused” by the rules. She said he had attended a police station in October 2019 to provide a new mobile number and thought that meant he was not due to notify again until October 2020. She added that he had significant credit card debt and should have handed over the cards. The court heard his breaches did not result in any harm, putting his offending in the lowest category of sentences which could be passed. Ottley was given an 18-week prison sentence, suspended for eight months. But His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo warned Ottley being selective about what is given to the police can ring “significant alarm bells”. Ottley was told he would also have to take part in rehabilitation activities. March 2021 Thrapston paedophile who lured girls into driving instructor car facing jail again A paedophile who lured two young girls into his AA learner car and filmed sickening sex abuse is facing the prospect of prison again Former driving instructor Matthew Ottley, now of Midland Road in Thrapston, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in 2016 over his horrific actions which took place in Kent. He picked his victims up outside a school and drove them to a rural lane to act out his twisted fantasies. A judge placed him on the register for sex offenders indefinitely, a move designed to keep tabs on his details and whereabouts to deter him from further offending. Breaching the register requirements is a crime in itself – and the 45-year-old has now admitted eight charges of failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements before magistrates in Northampton. The offences took place between April 2018 and June 2020 and one related to failing to notify police of a bank card. Ottley, who once ran his own Kent driving school called ‘I Drive Safely’ and owned a minicab firm, had previously been jailed after admitting causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography. He had threatened the girls that he would put a clip of the abuse on YouTube if they told anyone, but the matter was later brought to the attention of teachers. AA suspended him at the time and then severed all ties with him. Ottley will be sentenced for his breaches of the sex offender notification requirements on March 19. Failing to comply with notification requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. February 2016 Paedophile jailed for four and a half years A Westerham driving instructor who exploited two girls for his own sexual gratification was sentenced to four and a half years in prison today. Matthew Ottley, 40, pleaded guilty to two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity – one of them involving a child under 13 – and two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography. The former High Street resident was given two sentences of four and a half years and two of 27 months, which will run concurrently. A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also issued against him for 10 years, which means he has to follow strict restrictions around children and when using the internet. Sarah Lindop, prosecuting, told Maidstone Crown Court on February 5 how Ottley had committed “a multitude of sins”. He picked up two girls aged 12 and 13 from school over a period of three days in 2014, and encouraged them to perform sexual acts in the back of his car. The first day he took them straight home, but on the second day he drove them to a secluded area and showed the girls a selection of sex toys on his tablet computer, asking them to choose one. Despite the girls telling him they did not want the devices, with one of the victims saying he had “gone too far”, the following day he offered two vibrators to the girls, telling them they should use them on each other and film it. When the girls again refused he offered them £200 each, and said “it’ll be fun”. Mrs Lindop added he had wanted to video the girls to make sure they would not tell anybody, threatening to post the footage online. Judge Smith said Ottley had made “an extraordinary fall from a law-abiding, hard worker. “I’m impressed with your character and history, but a young girl confided in you and discussed her concerns with you. “And you exploited that for your own sexual gratification.” The judge called the results of Ottley’s actions “utterly catastrophic”, explaining how the abuse had negatively impacted on one of the victims, affecting her confidence and causing “distress and stress”. Ottley was due to be sentenced in November 2015 but this was delayed when he indicated he wished to change his plea. However an application for this alteration was not received by the Crown Prosecution Service. He previously owned a taxi company in Edenbridge and ran a Westerham-based driving school as a franchise of the AA. The parents of one of the complainants said: “We’re glad it’s over. We can give our child what she needs and tell her it’s all done with. We’re relieved.” October 2015 Driving instructor admits sexually abusing two schoolgirls A Westerham driving instructor has admitted sexually abusing two girls in the back of his car after he picked them up from school. Ex-AA instructor, Matthew Ottley, 40, pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court last Thursday to abusing the girls over a four day period last November. Ottley, formerly of the High Street, was released on bail until sentencing at the end of next month. The former taxi boss, who also operated a mini cab business known as Matt’s Taxis, pleaded guilty to: Two charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity – one of them involving a child under 13. He also admitted two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said a further three counts of abuse would remain on file after Ottley, who has now moved to Saxon Way, Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, denied the charges. Ottley, who ran his franchised business “I Drive Safe;y” along with his wife, Faye for 11 years, was suspended by the AA in July but severed all connections with them in September. On their driving school website, the pair boasted nearly 20 years professional driving experience with “a 100% pass rate” and said they specialised in “helping particularly nervous pupils”. Ottley, who was a pupil at Charles Darwin School in Biggin Hill, was released on bail on the condition he not make contact with any witnesses involved in the case. He will be sentenced in the week beginning November 23.