"I Was a Victim of Abuse from Age 4—The Moment I Realized It Was Wrong During Sex Ed Class"

“THIS is a dad’s way of showing love to their children,” depraved Matthew Dobie said before sexually assaulting his own daughter, who was dressed only in her nightie.

It was one of many inflicted upon Evie May, whom he called his “little princess”, which began when she was just four years old under the twisted guise of it being “a fun game”.

Evie May was sexually abused and raped by her dad between the ages of four and eight Credit: HotSpot Media Matthew Dobie acted like the ‘perfect dad’ but was abusing his daughter Credit: HotSpot Media

Whenever her speech therapist mum was working late, Dobie – later called “truly a monster” and “wicked in the extreme” by a sentencing judge – would strike.

He hid the abuse for years by manipulating the child to agree it was “our little secret”.

The truth of the attacks, which spanned four years until Evie, now 17, was eight, was only uncovered due to her watching a sex education video at school, which discussed consent and said family members were not allowed to touch private parts.

“But my dad does,” the 11-year-old blurted out, leading her teacher to refer her to a support worker, alert her mother Jen, now 48, and later the , who she reported the abuse to in January 2020.

Dobie, who was separated from Evie’s mum, denied everything and, after being released on bail, went on the run in August 2021. A month later, he was found 140 miles away from their home at a bar in Bodmin, Cornwall.

Sickeningly, in court, the dad’s defence would claim that Evie lied because she was “jealous” that he was getting married and starting a new family.

In February 2022, Dobie, then 47, was found guilty of two counts of rape and four counts of sexual activity with a child and jailed for 20 years. The judge stated: “Few words can properly describe the depth of your degeneracy.”

Now Evie has bravely waived her right to anonymity four years on to raise awareness for other sexual abuse survivors and has more than 13,000 followers on her account.

“I’m speaking out to show others that they can achieve justice too,” games design student Evie tells The Sun.

“I was silenced for so long and want to encourage others to report their abusers. For them to know it’s never too late.”

Evie’s abuse began at the age of four when Dobie was in charge of dinner and bedtime, while her mum was working late.

The first time she can recall an attack happening, she was four and her brother, then nine, was playing games in his room, when Dobie led her upstairs to get ready for bed.

Matthew Dobie attacked his daughter while her mum was working late Credit: HotSpot Media Dobie was described as ‘wicked in the extreme’ by the judge when sentenced to 20 years Credit: HotSpot Media

Evie explains: “After putting on my nightie, he told me to get under the covers in his bed. He got undressed and stood in front of me, pleasuring himself.

“He told me it was a fun game and afterwards he tucked me in, before kissing me goodnight.”

Next evening, with mum at work, Dobie touched her privates under her nightie, telling her “This is a dad’s way of showing love to their children,” before making her touch him.

When it was over, Evie was instructed, “This is our little secret”, and coerced further into covering Dobie’s tracks.

She says: “He told me if I saw mum’s car headlights through the curtain, I had to hurry back to my bed.”

Months later, Dobie raped his daughter for the first time.

Evie says: “I was in so much pain and told him it hurt, asking ‘When can we stop?’

“When he was finished, we got dressed, and he took me to the shops, letting me buy whatever I wanted.”

From then on, most nights, Dobie forced himself on Evie – always rewarding her with sweets or a film after.

She remembers: “Months on, my privates became stingy and painful. So Mum took me to the GP where a nurse examined me – taking a swab.”

Evie was diagnosed with thrush. Yet when her mum questioned it – given her young age – she was dismissed by a nurse.

Evie says: “They told her it must have spread to me through towel-sharing.

The day after Evie’s 11th birthday, she watched a school sex education video which helped her to realise she had been abused Credit: HotSpot Media Mum Jane admits she felt ‘so guilty’ for not being able to protect her daughter Credit: HotSpot Media

“So, she applied special cream to my privates. It would clear up for a while but kept coming back as dad continued his abuse.”

By the age of seven, Evie had developed awful anxiety. She dreaded the nights and longed for her mum to finish work early and return home.

She explains: “Dad was drinking heavily and had developed an awful temper. I’d find empty beer bottles all over the house.

“Some evenings, he’d fall asleep on the sofa, nearly burning dinner. Often I’d have to shake him awake.”

Soon after, Evie’s mum pleaded with her husband to go for counselling.

“But nothing changed, and Evie’s brother had to start picking her up from school as Dobie was too drunk.

Eventually, the marriage broke down when Evie was seven.

She adds: “Dad moved out, but I visited him every other weekend.

“Yet I started to fear him. Often, during car journeys, Dad would get into road rage incidents and car chases. He’d tailgate drivers and stick his finger up at them.”

Terrified, Evie started putting her hand inside her mouth and began to scratch herself until it left a sore, red mark.

One day, aged eight, while Evie was off sick from school, Dobie sexually abused her. After that, he never touched her again.

In January 2020, the day after celebrating her 11th birthday, Evie’s teacher put on a sex education video in class, which made her reevaluate what had happened to her.

It talked about consent and that no one was allowed to touch private parts – even family.

Evie says: “Overhearing me confess to my friends that my dad did that to me, my teacher took me to the support mentor.

“Seeing me clock a poster in the office about sexual assault, she asked, ‘Did this happen to you?’ I told her, ‘Yes, by my dad.’”

Evie’s headteacher was called, and her mum was alerted at work. Her mother was “beside herself” and horrified she hadn’t realised what had been happening.

Evie adds: “That night, as she tucked me into bed, I told her ‘Daddy used to put his thingy in my v-jayjay’. She stroked my hair, fighting back tears. I could tell she was distraught.”

The next day, Evie underwent a video interview at the police station.

Dobie was arrested but denied everything and was bailed, and then went on the run in August 2021.

Police issued a warrant online, along with his picture and description of the distinctive dragon tattoo on his right arm.

Evie has a TikTok page where she speaks about her experiences Credit: HotSpot Media

Just over a month later, he was caught 140 miles away at a bar in Bodmin, Cornwall, after a man recognised him.

However, while awaiting trial, Evie’s mental health spiralled as she came to terms with what happened. She could no longer sleep in her own bed, stopped eating and was “in and out of hospital”.

She adds: “I never wanted to be left alone and reverted to being six years old. I even started speaking in a baby voice.”

Eventually the family moved house, which allowed Evie to feel she could breathe a little. The case finally went to court in 2021 when she was 13.

Evie says: “As I was cross-examined via video link, his defence claimed I’d lied because my dad was getting married and starting a new family. That I was jealous.”

Thankfully, in February 2022, the jury found Matthew Dobie, then 47, guilty of two counts of rape and four counts of sexual activity with a child. He was jailed for 20 years.

Evie says: “Relief washed over me. Finally, I had justice, but my dad’s abuse stole my innocence and forced me to grow up too quickly. It has affected relationships. I find it hard to trust others.”

Over the last four years, Evie has slowly opened up about the abuse to her mum, who “feels so guilty for not being able to protect me”.

“But she could never have known,” Evie adds. “After all, he always abused me when she was out of the house.”

Now, Evie has a TikTok channel @eviemayjourney where she shares her story to help other survivors and appears in videos alongside her mum to talk about their experiences.

Evie adds: “If I can help one person know it’s never too late to speak up, it’ll be worth all the years of pain and suffering.

“Part of me still misses having a dad. But he was supposed to protect me. Keep me safe; instead, he hurt me in the sickest way.”