'I didn't know he was grooming me, I was only 14'

Matthew Myatt, 57, started sending sexual messages to his victim when she was 14

One of the victims of a former aviation company director jailed for child sexual offences has said she felt "sick" when she realised she had been groomed online.

For two years Matthew Myatt, 57, engaged in sexual communication online with Megan, whose name has been changed, which started when she was 14.

She was one of three victims - the other two experienced physical sexual abuse by Myatt at Popham Airfield, where his company was based.

He has now pleaded guilty to five offences and been jailed for four years.

Megan said she first met Myatt in 2015 at a Popham Airshow, where he was trying to encourage children to take up flying.

She said: "He looked creepy. I was only 10 years old at the time. He didn't do anything then, but he just seemed weird."

Matthew Myatt was jailed for four years and ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely

When she was 14 she had one flying lesson with Myatt, but did not have the passion for it, and soon after he added her on Facebook.

"I knew who he was, so I accepted, and straight away he started messaging me," she said.

"But I didn't think it was necessarily weird, as he was a familiar face.

"He had quite an interesting sense of humour – it was quite unique. It started off very funny and immature.

"He would often make comments about females' breasts. Or if he saw something inside the plane like a joy-stick – he would make jokes about it looking like male anatomy. And at 14 you find inappropriate things funny."

'I felt embarrassed'

Megan said his messages soon became more explicit, with references to her breasts and how sexually active she was.

She said: "When I was 15 things became more personalised. He asked me about oral sex.

"I would brush off his comments with laughing faces, but I wouldn't say anything more. He also used to say he would run away with me when I was older."

She said she carried on messaging him because she "felt sorry for him".

"He seemed lonely and I knew he was autistic. I have ADHD, so I know that sometimes I say strange things," she said.

Two victims experienced physical abuse by Myatt at Popham Airfield, where his company was based

Megan said as time went on she reduced her communications with Myatt, who she spoke to for around two years.

She said in 2021 she found out there were two other victims, who had experienced physical sexual abuse by Myatt, and she reported what happened to the police.

"It made me feel sick when I found that out. I felt embarrassed that I didn't realise he was grooming me," she said.

The three victims were abused by Myatt between 2016 and 2022, and the court heard he coerced one of the girls into sending indecent images of herself to him in exchange for money.

He pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography, possession of indecent images of a child, sexual communication with a child, and sexual assault.

Appearing at Winchester Crown Court on 27 June, Myatt, of Cripstead Lane in Winchester, was jailed and ordered to sign on the sex offenders' register indefinitely.

He was also handed a restraining order and a sexual harm prevention order with a number of prohibitions relating to his access to the internet and contact with children.

Simone Gosden of charity ACTS FAST said the number of children being groomed online was increasing

Simone Gosden works with charity ACTS FAST, which supports parents of children who have been sexually abused.

She said the number of children being groomed online was increasing, and that it was estimated one in 10 children will experience sexual abuse before they turn 16.

"The power of somebody that grooms is that they are able to make their victims feel like they are in some way complicit in the abuse and that perhaps they are in a relationship with them," she said.

"And sometimes it takes lots of therapy, lots of support, and many years before people are able to step back and recognise that they were in fact a victim."

DC Victoria Cobley, who investigated the case, previously said: "Myatt abused his position of trust to commit these offences, which have had a devastating impact on the victims.

"He persistently pursued three girls over a number of years for his own perverse gratification.

"Their courage in speaking out about what he did is extraordinary, and it is because of their bravery that Myatt is now in prison."

Popham Airfield, where Myatt used to operate his company, said in a statement: "The airfield is privately owned and facilitates tenancies for a number of businesses.

"Individually they are responsible for their own 'child safe-guarding'.

"The airfield operating company does not engage in any activity requiring a specific safeguarding policy."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.