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A B.C. child sex offender who was re-arrested in Vancouver just hours after being released from prison into a halfway house poses a high risk for future sexual offending, has poor impulse control and has a deviant sexual attraction to young children.
Documents from Randall Hopley's April 25 parole board decision states he lacks insight to his criminal behaviour and he's resistant to treatment efforts.
"Risk issues in your case include a deviant sexual attraction to young children, poor impulse control, poor emotions management, and attitudes that support the use of crime for gain," reads the decision.
Hopley obtained statutory release from Mission Institution Thursday morning. He was told to reside at a halfway house in Vancouver but refused the direction of his parole officer and left the halfway house.
Statutory release is presumptive release by law; it is not parole. The decision is not up to the Parole Board of Canada.
Most offenders, except those serving a life or indeterminate sentence, must be released by Correctional Service Canada with supervision after serving two-thirds of their sentence if parole has not already been granted.
A Canada-wide warrant was issued for Hopley after he refused to stay at the halfway house. Vancouver police arrested him hours later.
Eighteen months earlier, Hopley removed his ankle monitoring bracelet and also fled from his halfway house. He was on the lam for 10 days and was arrested in November 2023. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail on May 24, 2024.
Police believe he was attempting to avoid a trial on Nov. 6, 2023, for allegedly breaching a long-term supervision order.
Stalked potential victims at night
The Parole Board of Canada decision details special conditions that were imposed on Hopley during his release.
Seven special conditions and a residency condition were imposed to help "manage" his risk issues in the community. They were decided on April 25, 2025, before his release.
Hopley had been assigned to a community residential facility, also known as a halfway house.
There are six halfway houses Hopley could have been assigned to in Vancouver. All of them are publicly listed, along with their locations, on the Government of Canada's website.
Hopley was granted no leave privileges and would have had to return to the residential facility nightly while respecting an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
"In the past, you have committed acts of voyeurism and stalked potential victims at night. A curfew will prevent a return to this type of behaviour and provide additional structure and allow electronic monitoring to ensure you are fully accountable for your whereabouts, activities and associations,” stated the decision.
The other conditions included:
- Not to be near children's areas
- No contact with victims
- No contact with children
- Reside at a specific place
- Pornography restriction
- Internet restriction
- Report relationships
The board said Hopley has caused significant harm to the victim and his family.
"Any unwanted contact will cause additional harm and must be strictly avoided,” said the document.
Hopley was to be under supervision until May 18, 2030.
Criminal history
Hopley’s first conviction dates back to 1985. He has since developed a "significant criminal history," the decision said.
His first federal sentence was in 1985; the victim was a five-year-old boy. At the time of his arrest, he admitted to police that he committed similar acts against two other young boys.
Back in 2011, he abducted a three-year-old boy from his home in southeastern B.C. and was released with conditions under a long-term supervision order (LTSO). Hopley held the boy captive in a cabin for four days before returning him. Hopley completed a six-year prison term for the incident.
During the offence, he was already on a probation order and required to live at a specific place and observe a curfew.
"Your history under supervision in the community is poor,” stated the decision. "You have three convictions for breach-type offences, committed the abduction offence while on probation and have now been sentenced for breaching the conditions of the LTSO.”
In 2022, Hopley was observed by police at a library seated within three feet of a group of children and their parents.
"You were surfing the internet and accessed websites displaying a news article about a young boy and a site advertising underwear for men,” the parole board said.
He breached three of his conditions and was charged with two counts of breaching the conditions of the LTSO.
Demanded male parole officer
The decision said Hopley is unwilling or unable to apply the skills he might have learned in programs to daily life in the community.
"Typically, you have been reluctant or unwilling to discuss the specifics of your offending in program sessions and as a result, you have made few gains.”
As a result, the board said Hopley requires close supervision, structure and support to monitor his behaviour appropriately.
"In the board's view, a residency condition is necessary given your high risk to re-offend in a sexual manner against a child, your moderate risk to re-offend with general violence and your moderate to high risk to re-offend in a general way," said the decision.
He is currently enrolled in the institutional sex offender maintenance program. When he was incarcerated, he completed numerous programs, including the high intensity sex offender program.
Hopley demanded a male parole officer but eventually became more amendable to working with a woman.
"You have established a pattern of breaching conditions, failing to meet supervision requirements and re-offending,” said the board.
Given Hopley's pattern of behaviour, the board said alternate strategies of managing his risk are inadequate to the task of protecting society from him.
Hopley remains in police custody in Vancouver.
