PAUL HOOPER FROM PONTYPRIDD SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR GROOMING AND RAPE OF TEENAGE GIRLS

In a case that has shocked the community of Pontypridd, a man named Paul Hooper, aged 50, from Llantrisant Road, The Graig, was sentenced to a decade behind bars after admitting to multiple counts of sexual assault involving two teenage girls. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Hooper’s grooming tactics and the subsequent assaults that took place in his flat above a pub in Pontypridd.

On the day of the trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court, Hooper pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. Despite his admissions, he maintained to probation officers that the girls had been willing participants in the sexual encounters. Prosecutor Ieuan Morris outlined the allegations, stating, “It is claimed by the defendant that he had sexual intercourse on a consensual basis.”

According to Mr. Morris, Hooper had systematically groomed the girls by offering them cigarettes and, in one case, expressed a desire to run away with one of the teenagers. The court heard that Hooper had also sent love letters to her, professing his affection, which added a layer of emotional manipulation to his predatory behavior. The assaults occurred at Hooper’s flat, which was located above a pub in Pontypridd.

Further details revealed that Hooper had engaged in inappropriate conversations with the second girl, discussing sexual matters that had a lasting impact on her. She, too, was raped at his flat. The court was informed that Hooper’s actions extended beyond physical assault, involving psychological manipulation and exploitation.

In mitigation, Steven Donoghue, representing Hooper, emphasized that his client was a man of previously good character. He argued that by pleading guilty, Hooper had spared the two girls from the ordeal of giving evidence in court.

Judge Richard Twomlow sentenced Hooper to a total of 10 years in prison—four years for one of the rapes and six for the other. Additionally, Hooper was disqualified from working with children and was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. The court also imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, restricting his contact with children under the age of 16, in an effort to prevent further harm to vulnerable individuals in the community of Pontypridd.