SA Police are working with Queensland authorities to track down wanted man and convicted child sex offender Allan Hopkins, who police say is facing fresh allegations of a serious sexual offending involving a child under the age of 18.
On Friday, Detective Superintendent Scott Fitzgerald said the 44-year-old is currently wanted for an alleged incident that occurred earlier this month.
The officer could not go into more detail about the circumstances of the new allegations to protect the alleged victim.
Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald said Mr Hopkins was sighted in an eastern Adelaide suburb bottle shop, then a Millicent pharmacy in the state’s south-east earlier this month.
“On the 4th of May he was in Victoria and is now currently wanted for allegedly fleeing a roadside intercept,” Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald said.
He said two days later his vehicle was seen on the Barrier Highway in New South Wales.
“Subsequently Hopkins is now being sought by Queensland police for [alleged] offending in that state – I believe that offending is not of a sexual nature,” he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said police believe Mr Hopkins is now in south-east Queensland and his current mode of transport is being investigated as his Mazda Ute was recovered in the region.
“Police are seeking members of the public to contact police if they see Mr Hopkins,” Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald said.
“Members of the public are advised not to approach him and call police immediately.”
Mr Hopkins was convicted in 2010
In 2010 Allan Hopkins was sentenced to seven years in prison for abducting a child from a house and raping her.
Hopkins had pleaded guilty to the attack but was unable to provide the court with an explanation of why he took the 10-year-old girl after breaking into her house at Paralowie to steal a handbag.
He took the girl while she was sleeping next to a young friend and raped and left her near a schoolyard in the area.
Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald said Mr Hopkins was not currently subject to an extended supervision order – but he is monitored under the state’s child sex offender registration act, which police say he has now breached.
“If Allan sees [this] report, the message is to hand yourself into the closest police station and that way we can safely apprehend you and place you in front of the court so these matters can be heard,” he said.
Mr Hopkins previously pleaded guilty to failing to comply with reporting obligations under the child sex offenders registration act in 2020 between May and June that year.
A magistrate sentenced him to a further eight months and 13 days of home detention, which Mr Hopkins tried to appeal.
In 2021 Supreme Court Justice David Peek dismissed the appeal saying if he were to re-sentence, he would impose a term that would be “”significantly greater than that imposed by the magistrate” — noting there was no cross-appeal from the prosecution.
Detective Superintendent Fitzgerald said police are looking to bring Mr Hopkins back to SA.
“Once apprehended regardless of his location … we will extradite him to South Australia to face the charges.”
The detective superintendent said police are in contact and providing support to his previous and current alleged victim.
Police have described Mr Hopkins as Caucasian, 185cm tall, solid build, with short brown hair, brown eyes and a skull tattoo on his right upper arm.
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