A FORMER aviation director who abused his position of trust to groom teenage girls has been jailed for four years.
Matthew Myatt, 57, of Cripstead Lane, St Cross, Winchester, pleaded guilty on April 24 this year to five counts of child sexual assault and engaging in sexual acts with children.
Myatt was sentenced in Winchester Crown Court on Friday, June 27.
The court heard that from 2016 to 2017, Myatt groomed three children aged between 13 and 17 years, coercing them to perform sexual acts on themselves and send him images.
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While in his role as director of Airbourne Aviation at Popham Airfield, Myatt used his position of trust when instructing teenage girls to inappropriately touch their chests.
Myatt would often make inappropriate comments to his victims and would touch their chests.
On one occasion, Myatt challenged his victim to flash their chest at a CCTV camera and said "I'll save that for later."
On several occasions, he coerced one victim into sending him indecent photographs, some of which were in return for money. These requests got progressively more graphic.
During the sentencing, Myatt watched on with no visible reaction as one of his victims tearfully read a statement about the impact he had on her life.
She said: "I struggle to put into words the damage caused by Mr Myatt. I still to this day remember being so fearful of my mum and dad finding out about the images I had already sent, that I was a failure and disappointment.
"The feelings of shame and disgust and guilt that i thought would never stop [...] He has caused a sense of self-loathing I don’t think I will ever heal from.
"The damage by Mr Myatt has caused me with his actions is irreversible."
Judge James Newton-Price KC said to Myatt that the victim "blames herself and finds she can’t trust others, suffers with anxiety and is scared.
"She blames herself but she should not do that because you know it was all down to you. I was impressed and moved by her courage."
He explained that Myatt's previous child sexual convictions, along with the position of trust that Myatt was in, were aggravating factors, while his autism and poor health were taken into consideration as mitigating factors.
Myatt was sentenced to four years in prison and may be released on licence for the remainder, subject to condition.
A restraining order was imposed preventing Myatt from contacting or being in the vicinity of the victims, along with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
A deprivation order was also enacted for Myatt's MacBook.
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