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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Charlie Duffield & Charlie Duffield

Hypnotherapist who sexually assaulted woman he placed under trance is jailed

A hypnotherapist who put a woman under his spell and sexually assaulted her has been sentenced to 29 months in jail.

58-year-old Ian Roper "commanded" the victim to remove her clothing, while leading her to believe she was sitting on a hot sun bed, and rubbing sun cream on her body.

A court heard that he then attempted to make the woman to engage in sexual activity without her consent.

When the woman finally woke up, Roper tried to "put her under again" so she wouldn't know what had happened.

He claimed the allegations were untrue, but later pleaded guilty during a trial at Bradford Crown Court (MEN MEDIA)

He claimed the allegations were untrue, but later pleaded guilty during a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

The judge issued his sentence on Friday, and told Roper his interests were motivated by "selfish and sexual" desires, reports the Daily Mail.

According to the court, the woman whose identity is subject to an anonymity order, was assaulted during her second hypnosis session with registered therapist Roper, of Calderdale, West Yorkshire.

In the meeting, prosecutor David McGonigal said the defendant had initially "put her under" by touching her shoulder and had then taken her to her "safe place".

Then the complainant began sitting nearby to her.

Speaking to the court, Mr McGonigal said: "He said the only thing that mattered was his voice, and she had to listen to his command.

"He told her she was lying on a sun bed getting hotter and needed to rub imaginary sun cream on herself."

The prosecutor said Roper took the woman's bra off and then told her to remove her clothing as she continued to rub herself with the imaginary cream before she woke up.

He said: "She managed to come round and pushed the defendant away."

When she stood up to dress, Mr McGonigal said Roper took hold of her and tried to 'put her under again,' saying she would not remember what had happened.

Mr McGonigal added that she wanted to get away as soon as possible.

The woman complained to the police, but Roper insisted he'd never undertaken sexual liaisons with a person under hypnosis.

However, during a police investigation, officers uncovered five indecent images of children and one prohibited image of a child on Roper's laptop.

He pleaded guilty at his trial to causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and possession of the indecent images.

Ian Brook, defending Roper, confirmed that his client was a qualified hypnotherapist but said his attempts to set up a practice had been short-lived.

Speaking to the Mail, he said: "He's no intention at all to continue hypnotherapy with ladies or gentlemen."

On Friday, recorder David Gordon jailed him for 25 months for the sexual offence, with an extra four months for the indecent images.

The judge also said that 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: "You were purporting to administer a therapeutic treatment but it is clear you never intended anything of the sort and your interest was selfish and sexual.

"It is clear from her victim impact statement that she has suffered no serious physical injury, but she has suffered severe psychological harm."

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