A 49-year-old former music teacher at Bayhill High School in Berkeley has been sentenced to six years and four months in prison for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old autistic student. Jason Hoopes was originally charged with 23 felony sex crimes, including arranging to meet a minor with the intent to commit a sex crime and oral copulation with a person under 18.
According to court papers, Hoopes had been sending thousands of text messages to the victim, who had high-functioning autism, in an attempt to groom him. The abuse took place at abandoned buildings on the Alameda naval base between March and May last year.
Hoopes pleaded no contest to four counts of sex crimes and was sentenced by Judge Scott Patton on Friday. Due to sentencing calculation rules, including time served, Hoopes is likely to be released from prison in around two years.
The victim's parents delivered emotional victim impact statements during the hearing, describing how their son had been vulnerable due to his autism and how Hoopes had exploited this trust. The school's executive director also submitted a statement highlighting the damage caused by Hoopes' actions on the school community.
In an unexpected move, Hoopes took responsibility for his actions and apologized to the family members present in court, but did not directly apologize to the victim himself. Judge Patton noted that while Hoopes was unlikely to reoffend according to risk assessment findings, he acknowledged the trauma caused by a trusted adult abusing a child.