Martin Hopkins

A 56-year-old man from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has avoided immediate imprisonment after admitting to creating indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornography. Martin Hopkins, residing on Symonds Road, appeared at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on 24 July, where he pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to sexual offences.

The offences occurred over several months in 2021 and 2022. Between 9 October 2021 and 5 November 2021, Hopkins made three category A indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child. According to the Sentencing Council's Sexual Offences Definitive Guideline, category A images depict the most serious content, involving penetrative sexual activity. On 6 July 2022, he further created 13 category B images, which involve non-penetrative sexual activity. UK law defines 'pseudo-photograph' as images generated by computer or AI technology, highlighting the evolving nature of digital child exploitation.

In addition to the child-related offences, between 17 October 2021 and 5 July 2022, Hopkins was found in possession of an extreme pornographic image portraying intercourse or oral sex with a dead or alive animal, contrary to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. This possession compounded the severity of his case, though the court focused primarily on the child exploitation charges.

At the hearing, the magistrates imposed a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months, citing a 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation' as the reason for leniency. Hopkins was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order until July 2030, designed to protect the public from further sexual harm. He must complete 100 hours of unpaid work within the community, pay £85 in court costs, and a victim surcharge of £187. No immediate jail time was served, but breaching the suspension could result in activation of the full term.

The case was handled under Hertfordshire's local justice system, with Stevenage Magistrates' Court overseeing the proceedings. This outcome reflects judicial considerations of offender rehabilitation while imposing safeguards against reoffending. Sources close to the case emphasise the court's commitment to addressing child sexual exploitation seriously, even in suspended sentencing scenarios.