Child abuser from Sheerness jailed

A Sheerness child abuser who bragged of raping his victims online has been jailed for 22 years.

Earlier this year, David Hooper had been convicted of 17 offences including rape, sexual assault and causing a child to engage in sexual activity.

Crimes

Hooper molested and raped two victims between 2004 and 2013, later bragging about his crimes on private chats.

During this same period, he strangled another girl and subjected her to physical torture, including making her do gruelling exercises until she would throw up.

When Hooper, who lived in the Marine Town area, was arrested on 6 September 2025, four extendable batons, a knife and a zombie knife were also located in his home.

Court

The 57 year old denied having committed any crimes but a Maidstone Crown Court jury unanimously convicted him on Monday 15 June 2026 of all 17 counts.

At the same court on Friday 25 September, he was sentenced to 22 years in jail with a further 6 years on licence. Hooper was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be put on the sex offenders’ register.

Investigating officer DC Lucas Melella said:

‘These victims went through sustained horrific abuse and Hooper’s depravity will have lifelong consequences for them. ‘Boasting online of his crimes demonstrates not only his remorselessness but also his pride in having committed these sickening crimes. ‘The length of his sentence reflects the seriousness of his offending, and we are satisfied he will now spend a significant number of years behind bars where he can’t harm anyone else. ‘We commend his victims for their bravery and strength throughout this process and we hope this prison sentence will give them some sense of justice.’