EDLINGTON PRISON OFFICER MATTHEW ROWSE SENTENCED FOR GROOMING TEENAGE GIRL IN NORTH EAST

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community, Matthew Rowse, a prison officer from Edlington, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of grooming a 15-year-old girl and engaging in inappropriate sexual activities with her. The incident unfolded after Rowse initiated contact with the teenager through an online platform aimed at teenagers, where he exploited her vulnerability and built a relationship that led to a weekend of illicit activity.

According to court proceedings, Rowse, aged 41, made contact with the girl via a social networking website, where he engaged in numerous conversations, many of which contained explicit content. The court was told that he twice traveled from Doncaster to the North East with the intent to meet her. On the first occasion, the girl’s parents became suspicious of her plans to go out and refused to allow her to leave their home in Stockton, effectively thwarting his initial attempt.

Undeterred, Rowse made a second trip from Doncaster several weeks later. This time, he succeeded in meeting the girl and took her directly to his residence on Markham Road, Edlington, without exchanging a word during the car journey. The girl was then kept in his bedroom for approximately 36 hours, during which her frantic parents and police officers launched a search to locate her. Her mother reported her missing, prompting a nationwide search that culminated when authorities traced a signal from her mobile phone to Rowse’s address.

Police officers subsequently discovered the girl and Rowse in bed at his home, with the girl wearing nothing more than her bra, as detailed by prosecutor Louise Reevell during the court hearing. Rowse, a father of three, admitted to meeting a child after engaging in sexual grooming and was charged with four counts of sexual activity with a minor. The court was informed that the pair had exchanged hundreds of text messages, many of which were of an explicit nature, and had also made contact through various online social networking sites.

During police interrogation, Rowse refused to answer questions, claiming his role as a prison officer at HMP Hatfield’s young offenders’ institution. His arrest and subsequent legal proceedings have had severe repercussions on his personal life. His legal representative, Peter Makepeace, highlighted that Rowse had lost his job, his home, and his family as a consequence of his actions and subsequent remand in custody before Christmas. Makepeace emphasized that Rowse had already faced substantial punishment outside the courtroom and that he would be held in segregation within prison for his own protection.

Makepeace also stated that Rowse was committed to addressing the issues that led to his offending and would participate in any available programs or treatments to prevent further misconduct. Despite this, he acknowledged that Rowse would serve the remainder of his sentence in protective custody, a period that would be particularly challenging for him. As part of his sentence, Rowse, who was employed as an officer support grade at a youth prison in Doncaster, will be permanently barred from working with children. Additionally, he is prohibited from having unsupervised or internet contact with girls under the age of 16 and has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities.