A Sweet Home man, whose prison term for sexual abuse was to end this month, has been charged in connection to a new case.
Troy Hopper, 41, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse following an investigation by Sweet Home Police Department.
“On May 15, Sweet Home detectives learned of another potential victim,” said Police Chief Bob Burford. The allegations concerned sexual contact with a juvenile that occurred before Hopper was incarcerated.
“Officers interviewed Hopper in September at the Deer Creek Correctional Facility in Madras,” Burford said. “A completed investigation was forwarded to the district attorney in October.”
The charge in the court file accuses Hopper of the conduct in 2009 and 2010, said George Eder of the Linn County District Attorney’s Office.
Hopper is serving a three-year sentence for first-degree sexual abuse.
He had been a teacher’s assistant at Hawthorne Elementary School.
Detectives opened an investigation of Hopper on March 6, 2010 after receiving a complaint that Hopper had allegedly had sexual contact with several grade-school students between 1997 and 2000, according to Burford. The victims, now adults, attended Hawthorne. The alleged incidents did not occur on school property.
Hopper was charged and convicted in one case because of the elapsed time and statute of limitations.
Hopper pleaded guilty on Sept. 7, 2010. He was scheduled for release on Jan. 30, 2013, according to Oregon Department of Corrections records.