| Inmate name: | Samuel Hopkins |
| Charge description: | Samuel Hopkins pled guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison with no parole in each of two child abuse cases on March 13, 2015. The 35-year old Richmond man was charged with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child and the Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child under the Age of 6. According to Assistant District Attorney Jill Stotts, Hopkins began sexually assaulting a young girl during late 2011 when she was five years old. The sexual abuse continued for over a year during which the defendant would have the child perform oral sex on him and would also rub his penis on her bottom to the point of ejaculation. After sexually assaulting the girl, Hopkins would reward the child with ice cream or bubble gum. Bravely, the child told her mother that the defendant was doing gross and nasty stuff to her. When confronted, Hopkins confessed to sexually assaulting the child. The defendant pled guilty to Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child and to Super Aggravated Sexual Assault (sexually assaulting a child under the age of 6). The range of punishment for both of these first-degree felony offenses is 25 to 99 years or life in prison without parole. Hopkins will serve the two sentences concurrently and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. This smart sweet child was only five years old when she began suffering sexual abuse at the hands of the defendant a person she should have been able to trust, said Stotts. She should be proud for being brave enough to tell what was happening to her in order to save other kids from suffering the same abuse. Associate Judge John Hawkins presided over the plea for State District Judge James H. Shoemake, 434th Judicial District Court of Fort Bend County. Attorneys David Mitcham and Linda Mazzagatti represented the defendant. In an unrelated case, Anthony Davis was sentenced to 45 years in prison in an agreement with prosecutors after a jury found him guilty of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. The 43-year old Fresno man was tried and convicted on February 11, 2015 of abusing a young girl repeatedly in 2011-2012. Davis began sexually assaulting his 11-year-old victim when she was in the 6th grade. He would wake her up in the middle of the night, ask her to disrobe, and would touch her vagina with his hands and penis. The defendant would do this in the childs closet while her sister slept in the same room. Davis also sexually assaulted the girl in the laundry room and downstairs living area of the home. The State also presented evidence to the jury that the victims sister had also been molested. The sister testified that Davis started sexually assaulting her when she was 14 years old. The defendant would wake her up in the middle of the night, tell her to go downstairs to the living area or the bathroom, then make her put her mouth on his penis and rub his penis on her vagina. She wrote a note detailing the sexual assaults and gave it to her mom and grandma because she wanted the abuse to end. This note led to the discovery that Davis was abusing the victim in this case. Authorities investigating the crime found the defendants semen in the living area exactly where the victim said she was assaulted. The defendant also made admissions regarding the sexual assault of both girls. Davis has numerous criminal convictions including two prior trips to the state penitentiary which led to his decision to agree with the State regarding punishment rather than leave that decision to the jury. The courage and resilience shown by these two young ladies is especially commendable. They trusted the defendant and he betrayed that trust. He should have protected them, but instead, they needed protection from him, said prosecutor Jill Stotts. It is not always easy for a child to tell someone that they are being sexually abused, but their ability to tell will keep other children safe from the same sexual abuse that they suffered for years. The jurys verdict and the defendants sentence should ensure that Anthony Davis will not hurt any more children, added Assistant District Attorney Laurel Ellisor. And it sends a message to others that these types of crimes will not be tolerated in our community. Davis was prosecuted in the 434th District Court before Presiding Judge James H. Shoemake. Aggravated Sexual Assault is a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Davis will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least one-half of his sentence. He will be over 60 years old. Attorneys Jeff Webb and Michael Nassif represented the defendant. |
| Booking location: | Fort Bend County, TX |
