July 2017 Serial paedophile tied weight to his penis before exposing himself to a young girl A serial paedophile tied a weight to his penis as he flashed at a young girl in Bristol. The ten-year-old told her mother about Stephen Hooper and when police were called in, they found the 67-year-old had been recording himself engaging in sexual acts while a child was in the distance Hooper, of King Road in Knowle, has been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child on at least two occasions. He also pleaded guilty to exposure and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. The pensioner has a series of convictions for sex offences against children dating back more than 16 years, including a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for indecently assaulting two girls, making and possessing indecent images of children.. Jailing him yesterday, Judge Julian Lambert told him: “You are an old man. You have a long-standing sexual interest in the young.” Hooper was told to register as a sex offender indefinitely. Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said Hooper was made the subject of a SOPO in 2013, when he was convicted of making indecent photos of children. He is banned from contact with under-16s and unchecked internet use. But in May this year, a youngster spotted him take down his shorts and expose himself to her. The girl told her mum, who saw Hooper hiding behind a hedge, and police were called in. Hooper was arrested still wearing the shorts he was seen in during the incident. Police who searched his home found a computer he had not declared to his offending manager, putting him in breach of the SOPO. He claimed to be building the computer for his son. Further investigations revealed Hooper had filmed himself engaged in sex acts with a child in the distance. Mr Bell said: “The child said how the defendant would clap his hands to attract her attention. “Occasionally his shorts were off and he would have a weight attached to his penis.” February 2013 Paedophile sent woman indecent picture of himself A SELF-CONFESSED paedophile was found with indecent pictures of children after he sent a lewd picture of himself to an elderly woman. Convicted sex offender Stephen Hooper sent the woman a picture of his private parts via the internet, Bristol Crown Court was told. After she complained to police they searched the 62-year-old defendant’s computer and found 179 indecent images of youngsters, including 50 pictures of girls being sexually abused by adults. Hooper, of King’s Road, Brislington, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of making indecent images of children and four counts of possessing prohibited images of children. Kenneth Bell, prosecuting, said a police search of Hooper’s computer found indecent photos and movies of girls aged between eight and 14. He said the pictures had been viewed after Hooper searched online using terms including “teen”, “young”, “girl”, “school” and “incest”.” Hooper has previously served a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for indecently assaulting two girls. Farah Rashid, defending, said her client was frank about having a long-standing interest in children. She said: “When released from prison he started a course but he was unable to complete it. “He’s 62, he’s got himself into a hole and he needs professional help to get himself back out of it.” Judge Geoffrey Mercer QC said had he sent Hooper to jail he would have been released after a few months and a sentence involving treatment for his problems was a better alternative. He handed him a community order involving 3 years’ supervision and a requirement to attend a sex offender treatment programme. The judge also imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning Hooper from contact with under-16s and unchecked internet use. He must register as a sex offender for life. The judge told him: “You present a sad figure. You have an admitted deviant sexual interest which has got to be addressed. It is in the greater public interest to make sure you address your problem and such risk you pose is reduced as far as it can be.”