STEPHEN HOPKINS FROM HAYDON WICK SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN SWINDON

In a disturbing case that has shocked the local community of Haydon Wick, Stephen Hopkins, a 32-year-old man, was sentenced to 20 months in prison after admitting to multiple charges related to the distribution and possession of indecent images of children. The case was heard at Swindon Crown Court, where prosecutors detailed the extent of Hopkins' illegal activities, which spanned over a decade and involved a staggering collection of more than 35,000 images.

According to the prosecution, Hopkins had amassed an extensive and disturbing collection that included a 23-minute video depicting the abuse of an eight-year-old child. His collection contained images and videos of children ranging from newborns to older minors, highlighting the severity and depravity of his offenses. The investigation into Hopkins' activities was initiated following an international police operation, specifically by authorities in Italy, who uncovered his involvement in sharing child abuse material online.

Police discovered that Hopkins had used the Gigatribe file-sharing software to distribute these illicit images. When law enforcement officers arrested him at his workplace in November 2010, Hopkins reportedly confessed, saying, “It’s me. I’m sorry, I can’t help it.” His admission came before his devices were examined by experts, who confirmed the presence of indecent images on his computer. Further investigation revealed that Hopkins had been allowing others, known as ‘friends’ on the Gigatribe platform, to access his collection.

Records showed that in October 2009, a user downloaded 14 images from him. A few months later, another user retrieved 24 images, and by July 2010, a third user obtained 64 indecent images from Hopkins. When questioned again by police, he explained that he had been swapping material because “that was the convention,” indicating a pattern of ongoing distribution. The evidence suggested that this activity had been ongoing since early 2001 and only ceased after his arrest in November 2010.

Hopkins, who resides on Speedwell Close in Haydon Wick, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including three counts of distribution, 14 counts of making indecent images, and one count of possessing indecent images of children. He also admitted to possessing extreme pornography and prohibited images involving children. His defense attorney, Nicholas Wragg, argued that the offending had been a lifelong issue for Hopkins, who initially sought adult pornography but gradually became obsessed with collecting indecent images of children. Wragg explained that Hopkins used the Gigatribe software, which made it difficult to download material without sharing some of his own collection, leading him to make a conscious decision to allow others access to satisfy his compulsions.

Wragg emphasized that Hopkins had no interest in distributing the images for profit or harm but was primarily focused on accumulating the material himself. The defense highlighted that Hopkins, who holds a degree in engineering, had ceased accessing the illicit content for the past two years while awaiting his court hearing.

Judge Euan Ambrose addressed the court, stating, “You wished to avail yourself of other people’s collections and make them available to you, but in order to do that through file-sharing software, you needed to make some of your collection accessible to others. On the occasions set out in the indictment, they did take advantage of that opportunity. That is the distribution.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Ambrose imposed a lifelong sexual offences prevention order on Hopkins and mandated that he register as a sex offender for the next ten years. The case has raised serious concerns about the presence of such disturbing material within the local community and the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat online child exploitation.