08-05-2025
Pair of former police officers appear in court over 'rape and indecent assault' of underage girl
Two former police officers appeared before a court charged with the alleged rape and indecent assault of an underage girl.
It is alleged ex PC Ian Hopkinson, 63, and former Sergeant William Baker, 78, to have committed the crimes between 1992 and 1995 while serving in West Yorkshire Police 's mounted horse section in Pontefract.
Mr Hopkinson, of Redcar, North Yorkshire, is charged with five counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years.
He has also been charged with five counts of rape of a female under 16 years.
Meanwhile, Mr Baker, of Hayle, Cornwall, is charged with three counts of indecent assault on a girl under the age of 16 years and two counts of rape of a female under 16 years.
The court heard Mr Baker had been in the force for 27 years.
They were remanded by Judge Kitson at Leeds Magistrates Court on Wednesday to appear before the city's crown court.
They were charged after a woman came forward in 2023 and reported the alleged incidents of serious sexual offences.
After a police investigation was launched, both men were arrested in June 2024.
A 74-year-old man, who was also a West Yorkshire Police officer at the time of the reported offences, was also arrested in June 2024 as part of this investigation.
He has since died, and there was no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.
Both men were released on conditional bail.
They were told to have no contact with the alleged victim and no unsupervised contact with a child under the age of 18.
Baker and Hopkinson were also prohibited from contacting each other.
Mr Hopkinson and Mr Baker will both appear at Leeds Crown Court on June 4.
