Sentencing hearing for BC child abductor to wrap up but sentence will be delayed

CRANBROOK, B.C. – A sentencing hearing for a man who abducted a three-year-old British Columbia boy last year is to wrap up today but it could be at least another couple of months before Randall Hopley’s fate is determined.

Hopley, who turns 47 next week, has already pleaded guilty to abducting Kienan Hebert from the boy’s home in Sparwood, a southeastern B.C. town near the Alberta boundary, last September. The boy was returned unharmed and Hopley was later arrested at a nearby Bible camp.

Hopley has steadily denied that he sexually assaulted Kienan and insists he was looking for revenge against the justice system for what he says was a wrongful conviction five years ago.

An actual sentence isn’t expected to be handed down anytime soon. The Crown has served notice that it wants to proceed with a harsher approach to Hopley in its sentencing.

“We want to have him assessed for 60 days to determine if he should be found a dangerous offender or long-term offender,” said Crown prosecutor Lynal Doerksen.

If that occurs it would likely result in a dangerous offender hearing which would delay sentencing even further.

Hopley was convicted in 1985 of sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy and a psychiatric report leading up to his prison release warned he could offend again.

The report said Hopley had an IQ well below average and seemed to have fallen between the cracks of various support agencies.

In an interview with police Hopley acknowledged that he was going to have to pay for his crimes.

“What I’ve done is the wrong call on every level,” he said.

“It makes me very upset I did something so stupid.”

Hopley has been kept away from the general prison population since his arrest in September, 2011.

His lawyer, William Thorne, said his client had been in solitary for the past 308 days for his own safety.

It was Hopley’s desire to apologize that ultimately led police to him. He turned to Facebook to post an apology, allowing police to use his IP address to trace his location to the Crowsnest Lake Bible Camp.

Kienan vanished from his bedroom in the middle of the night wearing Scooby Doo boxer shorts, prompting police to launch a massive search for a little boy.

The search grew over several days, with police issuing an Amber Alert that was eventually expanded to include Alberta.