WAYNE HOPKINS PERTH SEX OFFENDER BANNED FOR BREACHING ORDER AND POSSESSING EXTREME IMAGES IN PERTH
In a recent development at Perth Sheriff Court, Wayne Hopkins, a 31-year-old man with a troubling history related to sexual offences and possession of illicit images, faced serious legal consequences for breaching his court-imposed restrictions.The incident, which took place earlier this year, involved police discovering Hopkins in possession of three mobile phones at his residence on Ethel Moorhead Place, despite being explicitly prohibited from owning more than one device under his sexual offences prevention order.
Hopkins was sentenced to 100 days in jail for this breach, which occurred between February 6 and 15, 2016.
During the sentencing hearing, solicitor David Holmes acknowledged that Hopkins had not attempted to conceal the phones from law enforcement, describing one of the devices as “old.” Despite this, Sheriff Fiona Tait expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating, “It beggars belief that a person who is told they can only have one mobile telephone has three.
I am satisfied on the basis of the reports that you were aware of this prohibition.” Hopkins’s criminal record includes a conviction from November 2014, when he was placed on the sex offenders register for three years after police uncovered a significant collection of indecent images.
Authorities found a total of 1,338 photographs depicting children engaged in sexual acts, along with 289 images of extreme bestiality, stored on his computer and other electronic devices.
These images were in his possession during the years 2012 and 2013.
The court heard that Hopkins was also required by his order to disclose his passwords and email addresses to police, and he was explicitly banned from using encryption software to conceal his data.
Further court proceedings in January 2016 revealed ongoing concerns about Hopkins’s behavior.
Social workers had expressed worries about his continued interest in illicit material, prompting the court to consider imposing a more restrictive Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO).
Sheriff Fiona Tait indicated her intention to implement such an order to better control his access to harmful images, with the case being adjourned to determine the duration of this new restriction.
Previously, Hopkins had admitted to possessing indecent images of children at his Perth home on Sidey Place between June and November 2012.
He also confessed to possessing extreme images depicting explicit sexual activity involving humans and animals from November 2012 to February 2013.
These admissions led to his placement on the sex offenders register and a community service order requiring 300 hours of unpaid work.
In the 2014 case, police had acted on intelligence suggesting the presence of child abuse photographs at Hopkins’s residence.
A search warrant was executed, and authorities seized various electronic devices.
The examination of these devices revealed a disturbing collection: 1,274 indecent photographs of children, along with 32 extreme bestiality images and an additional 257 similar pictures, as well as 64 images of child abuse stored across multiple devices.
During the proceedings, solicitor David Holmes highlighted that Hopkins had lost his employment as a result of these criminal activities, which included his work with Scottish and Southern Energy before his arrest.
Overall, Wayne Hopkins’s case underscores ongoing concerns about the dangers posed by individuals with a history of possessing and viewing illicit images, and the legal system’s efforts to impose strict restrictions to prevent further harm in Perth.
