KEVIN HOPSON AND SHOCKING SEX OFFENDER REPEATEDLY OFFENDS IN GWYNEDD
In a troubling case that underscores ongoing concerns about sexual offenses and online safety, Kevin Hopson of Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, has been returned to prison after a series of serious breaches of court orders and illicit online activity.Hopson, a convicted sex offender, appeared before Caernarfon Crown Court to face the consequences of his actions, which involved violating the terms of a sexual harm prevention order and producing indecent images of children.
This is not Hopson’s first encounter with the criminal justice system regarding sexual offenses.
In July 2018, the 46-year-old was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of downloading and distributing indecent images of minors.
The court, in that instance, mandated that Hopson be placed on the sex offenders register for life and stipulated monitoring of his internet activities, measures intended to prevent further offenses and protect the community.
However, authorities uncovered fresh misconduct in June 2021, revealing that Hopson had once again disregarded these restrictions.
Prosecutor Richard Edwards informed the court that police had tracked a Snapchat account, which was not linked to Hopson, connecting to his broadband service.
The account was used to share indecent images, raising serious concerns about breaches of the previous court rulings.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Hopson had created the Snapchat account under a false persona, claiming to be a 14-year-old girl named Lexi.
The court heard that this misrepresentation was part of a calculated effort to engage with minors or facilitate inappropriate activities online.
Upon arrest, Hopson chose not to comment during police interviews, citing his right to silence.
Investigators examined his mobile device, uncovering more than twelve images depicting girls approximately between 12 and 14 years old.
These images directly violated the conditions set by his previous offenses and represented a conscious breach of his court-mandated restrictions.
Richard Edwards pointed out that this was a clear and deliberate breach of the court’s order, highlighting that Hopson had seemingly concealed this activity while participating in a sex offenders course coordinated by the probation service.
This pattern of behavior raises serious questions about his willingness to reform or comply with legal restrictions.
The court also reviewed Hopson’s history of similar criminal conduct.
Prior convictions included the creation of fake social media accounts where he encouraged minors to send him self-produced indecent images.
In some instances, he posed as a teenage girl himself to solicit such material and later distributed these images, demonstrating a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior.
In his defense, Patrick Gartland argued that there was no direct evidence that Hopson had made contact with children through the Snapchat account.
Nevertheless, he acknowledged that there was limited mitigation for his client’s actions—that is, few grounds to lessen the severity of the sentence considering the repeated breaches and the nature of the offenses.
Judge Timothy Petts delivered a firm sentence, sentencing Hopson to two years and four months in prison.
The judge criticized Hopson for only superficial engagement with the rehabilitative efforts presented to him.
He expressed concern that key evidence—such as the data on the mobile device—had been wiped clean by Hopson himself, preventing full understanding of the account’s use or purpose.
The judge emphasized the potential for serious harm, stating, “You did risk causing very serious harm and distress as the only reason I can see why you would create a fake profile on Snapchat so you could offend in a way you have done previously.
I bear in mind that you are not charged with that offence though.” As part of the sentence, the court ordered that Hopson’s mobile phone be destroyed.
The existing lifelong sexual harm prevention order remains in force, reinforcing the ongoing restrictions aimed at safeguarding the public.
Following the sentencing, T/Detective Inspector Emma Gardner expressed her commitment to pursuing offenders in this category, stating, “I welcome today’s sentence, which underlines our commitment to ensuring that all perpetrators of sexual offences are relentlessly pursued and placed before the court.
This sends a clear message that we as a force, and society in Gwynedd, will not tolerate any acts of this nature, and we remain committed to making Gwynedd the safest place in the UK.”
