In 2018, the Offender Database recorded that 31-year-old Matthew Hopkins—a former PCSO and cub scout leader—was jailed for five and a half years for the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy and a “vile” catalogue of digital crimes. Hopkins, of Ivybridge, Devon, was convicted following two trials at Truro Crown Court. It was reported that the investigation established Hopkins had utilized his positions of trust in the community and the scouts to facilitate predatory behaviour against minors.
The investigation established that Hopkins sexually assaulted a boy in 2008 and subsequently moved to “other means” to satisfy his urges, including the installation of a covert camera in a bathroom ceiling. Truro Crown Court heard that the camera recorded 29 movies of young boys using the toilet, with one victim noticing a small hole near a light fitting. The prosecution reported that police raids in December 2016 uncovered a custom-built computer tower and a laptop containing over 1,300 indecent items, including imagery of infants being raped.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Hopkins used his technical knowledge to install peer-to-peer software designed to bypass browsing history and hide his downloads. The investigation established that under the username ‘Matt’, Hopkins had curated files of extreme abuse and “prohibited images,” as well as an extreme pornographic video involving an animal. Judge Simon Carr noted that Hopkins’ behaviour was a “most appalling” breach of trust, specifically highlighting how the 12-year-old victim “simply froze” during the assault because he could not comprehend the violation.
Judge-led proceedings at Truro Crown Court concluded with Hopkins being handed a total sentence of five and a half years. For his actions in Ivybridge and the wider digital space, he was also placed on the sex offenders register for life. The judge noted that despite his “previous good character,” the defendant demonstrated an “entrenched and lifelong sexual interest in young boys,” necessitating a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) to ensure public safety upon his eventual release.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in Devon and Cornwall, the status of Matthew Hopkins as of April 8, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: RELEASED (Served custodial term; sentenced 2018; released on licence circa 2021).
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active for life.
- SHPO Status: Subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (Expires 2028; includes total ban on unsupervised contact with children and strict digital monitoring).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite ban on working with children).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Indecent assault; Voyeurism; Making/Possessing indecent images; Extreme pornography).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Truro Crown Court; investigated by Devon and Cornwall Police.
- Criminal Record: Former PCSO and Scout Leader who assaulted a 12-year-old; Filmed boys in toilets via a hidden ceiling camera; Stored imagery of infants being raped.
- Origin: Ivybridge, Devon.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Hopkins is managed as a high-risk registered sex offender within the Devon area following his release. Due to the nature of his conduct—specifically his “calculated use of technology” to film children and his “long-term grooming” within the scouts—his management is a priority for the Devon and Cornwall Police Public Protection Unit. Authorities state that his background as a PCSO provided him with insight into police methods, making his use of encrypted software a significant factor in his ongoing statutory oversight.
As a registered sex offender for life, the defendant’s details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that his SHPO remains a vital tool for ensuring he has no unmonitored access to minors or devices capable of recording digital media. Any change of residence in Ivybridge, any return to youth-based volunteer work, or any failure to disclose digital hardware will result in immediate arrest to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from his demonstrated pattern of professional and digital predation.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “serving PCSO” and “Scout Leader” while committing these crimes, do you believe that “Positions of Trust” should carry a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence regardless of the specific offence?
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