An evil Midlands father who sexually abused his long-lost daughter after she tracked him down has been sentenced to prison. Matthew Ward, 37, of Boyer Street, Derby, was jailed for 15 years and four months at Derby Crown Court on Friday, June 12. His partner, Sophie Eason, 30, of Teasel Grove, Derby, was sentenced to two years and eight months.
The Abuse
Demi Howes went to live with her father Ward and his partner Eason when she was 15. Shortly after her 16th birthday, Ward told Demi he could now 'do what he wanted', with Eason joining in the abuse. The crimes were uncovered when Ward's phone was seized by police following an unrelated incident.
Ward's phone contained messages he sent to another woman attempting to instigate a sexual encounter between himself, his daughter, and that woman. There were also messages indicating Eason's involvement in abusing Demi.
Brave Victim Speaks Out
Demi, now 18, bravely waived her right to lifelong anonymity to speak out about the abuse. In a statement read in court, she described how she found out Ward was her biological father at age 15, tracked him down on social media, and went to live with them after 'escaping a chaotic and abusive home environment', according to Derbyshire Constabulary.
She said: "I was excited to meet my father and thought that I might have finally found somewhere I could be safe and belong. I thought I might have a chance at a family and being able to be a normal teenager."
She added: "When I turned 16 my dad told me I was 16 now and he could do what he wanted. That's when he started to get Sophie involved and she would join in the abuse. It's sick to think about, my own dad having sex with me and the woman I called mum joining in."
Demi also spoke of the ongoing trauma: "I have night terrors and PTSD from what you did to me. I wet the bed and physically lash out and scream in my sleep talking about what you did. I can still feel what you did when I go to sleep it's impossible to escape the trauma you have put me through."
Sentencing and Orders
Ward admitted six counts of adult sexual activity with a girl family member, one count of an offender over 18 engaging in sexual activity with a girl, two counts of making indecent images of a child, and two counts of distributing indecent images of a child. Eason admitted four counts of adult sexual activity with a girl family member.
Both were given indefinite sexual harm prevention orders, indefinite restraining orders banning contact with Demi, and were told they must register with police indefinitely.
Police Praise
Detective Constable Gabrielle Rouse, the officer in the case, said: "Demi is an extremely brave and tenacious young woman, who has fought for justice despite not having a secure support system around her. The abuse inflicted on Demi by her own father and the woman she thought of as a mother is beyond harrowing. No child should have to go through what Demi has been through."
