A father who told his daughter he could do what he wanted to her after she turned 16 has been jailed for horrific sexual abuse. Matthew Ward, 37, and his partner Sophie Eason, 30, abused Demi Howes after the teen moved in with them.
Demi had tracked down Ward, her biological father, to escape an abusive relationship at age 15. Shortly after her 16th birthday, Ward told her he could now do what he wanted and began having sex with her. Eason became involved too and participated in the abuse, which was discovered when Ward's phone was seized by police after an unrelated incident.
Demi, now 18, bravely waived her right to anonymity after Ward was jailed for 15 years and Eason for two. The pair admitted a string of offenses last September on the first day of their trial.
In her victim personal statement, Demi described how she tracked down her father on social media through Eason and went to live with them after escaping a chaotic home environment. She said she was excited to find a place where she could be safe and belong, but didn't know what to do when Ward kissed her at age 15 and had sex with her once she turned 16.
She said: 'I wasn't sure how to respond when he started flirting with me. When he said I looked fit and sexy, I thought they were compliments. Maybe that was normal for dads. I didn't know what to do when he came into my bedroom when I was 15 and kissed me. When I turned 16, my dad told me I was 16 now and he could do what he wanted. That's when he got Sophie involved, and she would join in the abuse.'
She called them dangerous paedophiles who should never be near children. She suffers from night terrors, PTSD, and bedwetting. Detective Constable Gabrielle Rouse of Derbyshire Police described Demi as an extremely brave and tenacious young woman who fought for justice despite not having a secure support system.
Police found messages on Ward's phone where he tried to instigate a sexual encounter between himself, Demi, and another woman. Further messages showed Eason was also involved. Ward and Eason were arrested in March 2025 and initially denied charges, but changed their pleas on the first day of trial in September. Ward admitted to non-penetrative and penetrative adult sexual activity with a girl family member aged 13-17, making indecent images of a child, and distributing indecent images. Eason admitted to similar offenses.
On June 12 at Derby Crown Court, Ward was sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison, and Eason to two years and eight months. Both received indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Orders and Restraining Orders regarding Demi, and must register with the police indefinitely.
