Locations
Wharf Street, Halifax, West Yorkshire, HX6
Description
A hypnotherapist has been jailed for more than two years after forcing a woman to engage in sexual activity while she was ‘under his spell’.
Ian Roper, 58, ‘commanded’ his victim to remove her clothing while making her think she was sitting on a hot sun bed and rubbing sun cream on her body, Bradford Crown Court heard.
When the woman woke up, Roper attempted to ‘put her under again’ so she wouldn’t know what had happened to her.
He pleaded guilty at the trial despite initially claiming the allegations were false to the police and he was handed a 29 month sentence by the judge.
Officers also found five indecent images of children and one prohibited image of a child on Roper’s laptop.
He pleaded guilty to the possession of indecent images.
Recorder David Gordon told Roper his interests had been motivated by ‘selfish and sexual’ desires.
The judge also said Roper would have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years and enforced a restraining order against him.
Recorder Gordon further imposed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order, which includes a ban on Roper working as a hypnotherapist.
Addressing Roper, he told him his offending was a very clear breach of trust and said he had engaged in a sustained assault on a complainant who had been vulnerable.
He said: ‘It is clear from her victim impact statement that she has suffered no serious physical injury, but she has suffered severe psychological harm.’