Pervert jailed in Sheffield after being caught for a second time with indecent images of children

A pervert who was caught for the second time with indecent images of children has been put behind bars.
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Sheffield Crown Court heard on December 16 how Simon Hopwood, aged 53, was caught with 820 indecent images of children after he had already served a community order for a previous similar conviction.

Richard Davies, prosecuting, said: “Through covert enquiries, police detected the defendant had been downloading indecent images of children – still and moving – and on August 13 police attended his address.”

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Mr Davies said a computer and storage devices were seized by police and 820 indecent images were discovered including 204 category A, 150 category B and 466 category C images, with category A being the most serious.

Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how police caught a repeat South Yorkshire offender with indecent images of children.Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how police caught a repeat South Yorkshire offender with indecent images of children.
Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how police caught a repeat South Yorkshire offender with indecent images of children.

The court heard Hopwood had previously been convicted in April, 2018, for similar offending for which he had received a three-year community order.

Mr Davies said an aggravating feature of Hopwood’s latest offences is that he has a previous conviction for the same type of offending and his latest offences were committed while he was still subject to a community order.

Hopwood, of Bromfield Court, Royston, Barnsley, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images relating to categories A, B and C and he also admitted possessing a prohibited image of a child.

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Sean Fritchley, defending, said Hopwood pleaded guilty at the first opportunity but had never been to prison and the court would be aware of how difficult a custodial environment is during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr Fritchely said Hopwood had disposed of anything enabling access to the internet and he wants and has been seeking help.

Judge Graham Reeds QC, who recognised there had been a delay in bringing the case to a conclusion, told Hopwood: “In April, 2018, you were given a community order for downloading indecent images of children.

“By October, 2018, you were downloading the same kind of material again and you continued to do so until you were arrested in 2019.”

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Judge Reeds who sentenced Hopwood to nine months of custody told him: “Your repeated offending demonstrates there is no realistic prospect of rehabilitation in your case in the short term.”

An application to subject Hopwood to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order is to be considered at a later date.