DAVID HOPKINS AND JAMES PECK: KENT PAEDOPHILES AND THEIR SHOCKING CRIMES IN MAIDSTONE AND LYMEGE
In a significant legal case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Kent, a man who was a victim of a notorious paedophile and former Cub Scout leader, David Hopkins, has been awarded a substantial compensation of £48,000 by a court.The victim, whose identity remains protected, endured years of abuse at the hands of Hopkins, who was convicted of multiple sex crimes against children.
The abuse spanned over a period of seven years, during which the victim was subjected to repeated acts of sexual misconduct, often under the guise of activities related to the Cub Scout group Hopkins led in east Kent.
David Hopkins, aged 77 and residing at St Anne’s Court in Maidstone, was sentenced to a decade behind bars in 2003 after admitting to 25 separate sex offenses involving minors.
Police investigations uncovered a disturbing collection of photographs and diaries meticulously documenting his abuse, some of which took place at his former residence in Lyminge.
The victim’s case was one among many that highlighted Hopkins’ long history of predatory behavior during the 1980s, prompting him to seek damages of £100,000 in a civil suit.
The Scout Association acknowledged its legal responsibility for Hopkins’ actions but contested the amount of damages claimed.
Judge Martin McKenna, presiding over the case, expressed sympathy for the victim, citing the profound impact of his troubled childhood.
The court awarded him £48,000, recognizing the suffering endured.
However, the judge clarified that the abuse was not directly linked to the victim’s later involvement in criminal activities, including drug addiction and failed relationships.
The victim had, in fact, manipulated Hopkins by extracting money and gifts, which he viewed as a form of compensation for the abuse he suffered.
Judge McKenna emphasized that the victim’s subsequent life choices, including his criminal behavior, were personal decisions unrelated to the earlier abuse, stating, “He has come to believe all the adverse effects in his life are attributable to the abuse.
Whilst that belief may be sincerely held, I have come to a different conclusion.” Earlier court testimonies revealed that the victim was molested shortly after joining the Cub Scouts, with his legal representative, David McLeneghan, describing the abuse as escalating in severity and occurring on hundreds of occasions.
In a related and disturbing development in June 2013, it was revealed that David Hopkins shared child abuse images with James Peck, a known paedophile.
Peck, who had previously been convicted of using public library computers to establish a website for sharing child abuse images, was found to possess numerous indecent photographs.
The images, which included references such as “14 and really cute,” “alias 11 years old,” and “10-year-old boy and 15,” were stored on a phone, DVDs, and memory sticks.
These items were discovered among Peck’s belongings at his former residence in Essex and at an address in Bright Road, Chatham.
Additional devices, including disks and memory sticks hidden within binoculars and a magnifying glass, were found at Hopkins’ sheltered housing in Maidstone.
Hopkins, now 75, admitted to possessing indecent images between April and May of the previous year.
He expressed disgust upon learning of Peck’s activities, stating he was “quite sickened” by the images he had seen.
Both men faced multiple charges; Peck, of Queenborough Road, Sheerness, pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing indecent images and three breaches of a sexual offences prevention order, along with two fraud offenses, resulting in a 21-month prison sentence.
Hopkins received an eight-month sentence, suspended for two years.
Judge Martin Joy, who sentenced the pair, acknowledged their differing criminal histories but highlighted Peck’s disturbing sexual obsession with children.
Despite a probation report indicating Peck posed a significant risk, the court did not impose an indeterminate sentence, though both men were subject to sexual offences prevention orders and required to register as sex offenders.
The court detailed the severity of the images, which included children as young as three, pre-pubescent boys, and teenagers, with Peck possessing 367 images and Hopkins 156.
Peck’s prior conviction in 2004 involved creating and distributing indecent images of young boys, using public library computers in Tunbridge Wells, Rochester, Chatham, and Maidstone to facilitate his activities.
Hopkins’ history of abuse was extensive, with court records revealing he kept detailed diaries of his misconduct, including victims’ names, locations, and the frequency of abuse.
One boy was reportedly abused nearly 300 times over six years.
His previous convictions included 20 charges of indecent assault spanning from 1961 to 1989, along with charges related to indecent photographs and a serious sex offense.
The case underscores the long-standing and deeply troubling pattern of criminal behavior by both men, highlighting the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to address and combat such heinous crimes in Kent.
