Warning: this story contains details of sexual violence and sexual exploitation against children
A south Island man already serving time for the sexual assault of a teen girl has been sentenced again after being found guilty of one count of sexual touching of a young person and a count of sexual assault against another two young victims.
On Feb 18, Peter John Hooper, now 49, was sentenced to eight years and nine months imprisonment, which will be served concurrently with his current five-year sentence for two counts of sexual interference.
In the most recent case, Hooper was sentenced for sexual offences against two sisters "S," who was 16 at the time, and "F" who was 17. Both were living in foster homes and were dealing with substance abuse issues.
Hooper met the sisters in late 2016, purchasing alcohol for them, and using drugs with them. Justice Anthony Saunders noted Hooper lived in a condo with his wife and young daughter at the time, and when his wife was at work he would invite the teens to his home.
"In or about July 2018, S and F began using meth as well. Mr. Hooper became their principal source or supplier and they would use meth with him in his home frequently, in the case of F, almost every day," noted Saunders.
His relationship with S progressed to being sexual, and Saunders noted that it was an exploitative relationship as he facilitated her drug use, supplied her with alcohol and drugs or money to buy drugs, provided her a location where drugs could be consumed in his condo or in his car, and taking drugs with her.
"There was an obvious power imbalance which Mr. Hooper took advantage of sexually for his own gratification," noted Saunders' decision.
According to Saunders, S's memory was blurry due to the drug use, but she recalled two specific cases where she had sex with Hooper.
"The [second] incident occurred in Mr. Hooper's home. She, Mr. Hooper, and [his drug dealer] smoked meth and, at Mr. Hooper's invitation, S put on some of his wife's lingerie. She had sex with Mr. Hooper and (the drug dealer) multiple times that day. She did not recall how the sex was initiated, but she did recall, and I accept, that she spent half the day naked with the two men coming in and out of the bedroom taking turns with her," noted Saunders.
The sexual assault of S's sister, F, also happened in Hooper's condo when Hooper and his friend Randy began to talk her into agreeing to have sex with both of them, which she repeatedly refused. They continued to pressure her saying, "No, you're going to." Eventually, Hooper penetrated her without warning, and without consent.
In their victim statements, at the time of the trial S had a young daughter and had a good relationship with her child's father. The relationship has since broken down and S is now in a situation where she cannot see her daughter.
"[S] spoke of having deep depression and suicidal thoughts at times. She acknowledges Mr. Hooper's conduct towards her is not the cause of all her problems, but she feels he has caused her pain, trauma, and sexual confusion," noted Saunders.
F spoke of having suffered a mental and emotional breakdown in 2023 where she was suicidal, was subject to multiple welfare checks and falling into abuse of antidepressant and antianxiety medication she was prescribed.
"[F] finds herself being easily triggered and experiencing flashbacks during sex with her partner, preventing them from connecting on a more intimate level, which in turn leads to her feeling anxious, fearful, and incapable of being loved by others."
Saunders said there is little to say in way of mitigation factors. He noted Hooper had experienced loss of his Indigenous identity, as well as his father's controlling behaviour towards his mother. He began living independently at the age of 16 to escape his father's verbal abuse, and trauma he experienced while supporting two siblings through their drug addiction, though Saunders said these are only slight mitigating factors compared to the offences.
"I am far from satisfied that Mr. Hooper will be able to restrain himself from engaging in such conduct the next time he goes through a difficult emotional period in his life. His pattern of befriending vulnerable girls, engaging in illicit drug use with them, and then sexually abusing them, and his utter lack of remorse, in my view, speak to a considerable risk of reoffending and point to the need for a lengthy prison sentence for the protection of the public," said Saunders.
Hooper's first victim to come before the courts in July 2018, a then 15-year-old girl, used to smoke drugs with Hooper, and on the day of the incident he drove her to Mount Douglas Park where they smoked meth together, and "he exposed himself to her, and asked her to touch his penis."
For that incident, Hooper served a total of 48 days in 2021 after being found guilty of one count of invitation to sexual touching and one count of exposing himself for a sexual purpose.
The second victim, "J.G.," had met Hooper on two occasions when she was 14 and 15. According to the judge's decision, she had dropped out of school and was spending time on the streets of downtown Victoria and was actively abusing drugs. In the first incident, Hooper had sexually assaulted the teen after doing meth and cocaine in a motorhome.
In October 2018, J.G., Hooper and two others drove to Mount Tolmie where they smoked drugs. J.G. felt sleepy – believing he had given her fentanyl instead of meth – and he proceeded to sexually assault her while she began to "nod off."
Hooper was sentenced to five years imprisonment on two counts of sexual interference in November 2024 for J.G.'s case.
Along with his jail sentence, Hooper will be under a lifetime Sex Offender Information Registration Act order, a 10-year weapons ban, and he cannot have any contact with the victims.
