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British IT consultant sentenced to 22 years for live‑stream child abuse
Paul Hopkins, a 50‑year‑old IT consultant from Romsey, Hampshire, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court to 22 years' imprisonment for 25 child sex offences, including rape and facilitating sexual exploitation. He arranged the live‑stream abuse of a nine‑year‑old girl in the Philippines, paying the child's mother US $40 for each half‑hour of the abuse, and had previously abused a child as young as two. Hopkins used multiple VPNs and other technical methods to conceal his location. In addition to the custodial term, he received an eight‑year extended licence, a sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to pay £2,000 in prosecution costs. Prosecutor Rabin Govindarajah described the case as one of the most serious child‑abuse cases seen in recent times.
Entities
15‑year‑old girl (victim) · Aaron Strachan · Bournemouth Crown Court · Edinburgh · Paul Hopkins · Princes Street · Rabin Govindarajah · Romsey, Hampshire · South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) · York Place
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He was arrested at his home in Romsey, Hampshire.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He used multiple VPNs and technical methods to conceal his location.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He received an eight‑year extended licence and a sexual harm prevention order.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He was ordered to pay £2,000 in prosecution costs.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He was convicted of 25 child sex offences, including rape and facilitating sexual exploitation.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Paul Hopkins was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Prosecutor Rabin Govindarajah described the case as one of the most serious child‑abuse cases in recent times.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] He arranged live‑stream abuse of a nine‑year‑old girl in the Philippines, paying the mother US $40 per half‑hour.