ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Public outrage over an attack on a St. John’s teenager in her own home last week is understandable, the RNC says.
Violent threats of revenge toward the suspect posted on social media are perhaps not.
Twenty-nine-year-old Stephen Hopkins is in custody, arrested Friday after police responded to a report of a serious attack on a 17-year-old girl in the Cowan Heights area of the city’s west end.
Hopkins is alleged to have knocked on the door of a home in the neighbourhood around 9 a.m. and when the teen — whom he didn’t know — answered, he asked her for a glass of water. He then allegedly pushed the girl inside the house and sexually assaulted her before running away.
RNC officers located Hopkins in the neighbourhood and arrested him, charging him with break and entry, sexual assault, forcible confinement and breaching a probation order.
That order had been given to him July 29, when he was released after being sentenced to one year of prison time served for sexually assaulting two women on the Long Pond Trail in St. John’s in August of last year. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of 10 years.
“If we see a direct threat, we will investigate." — Const. James Cadigan
As information about the attack emerged on Monday, when Hopkins appeared in provincial court, public outrage was swift, with local residents taking to social media to express their anger.
Some focused on supporting the girl and her family, with messages of empathy.
Others expressed their fear and said they felt police should have issued a formal public advisory about a registered sex offender’s release.
Others didn’t hold back their anger, posting suggestions of violent revenge that could potentially cross a line.
“Violent acts of this nature are absolutely terrifying and we recognize that our community is hurt right now,” RNC media relations officer Const. James Cadigan said Wednesday. “We want to work with the victim and family and the community by taking a trauma-informed approach to come to a non-violent, lawful conclusion.”
Officers often monitor social media, Cadigan said.
“If we see a direct threat, we will investigate,” he replied when asked if some of the angry posts could see the author in trouble.
Hopkins will make his next court appearance by phone Oct. 2. In addition to charges related to the attack on the teenager, he is facing a charge of breaching his probation order and breaching his orders under the Sex Offender Registration and Information Act.
Hopkins had been ordered to check in with a registration centre and a probation officer within seven days of his July 29 release. When he didn’t show up, a warrant was issued for him for a probation breach.
Court documents indicate Hopkins was charged four days before the attack with the two breaches and released by police to await a court date this week.
Cadigan didn’t provide information when contacted by The Telegram Tuesday, but said Wednesday that Hopkins had actually been charged with the probation breach Aug. 11, taken into custody and released by a judge the next day with a court order. He was charged Aug. 18 with breaching the sex offender registration conditions and released with a court date at that time, Cadigan said. Officers didn’t swear to the charges with the court until last week.
It’s not unusual for a person charged with breaching the Sex Offender Registration and Information Act to be released from custody to await a court appearance. Depending on the circumstances and the nature of the breach, a conviction can result in a sentence ranging from a discharge to federal prison time.
Hopkins said Monday he wanted to waive his right to a bail hearing for now. He indicated to the judge he plans to appeal his recent convictions, including the two sexual assaults.
