SAN JACINTO COUNTY – A San Jacinto County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for sexually assaulting a child.
Bernard Elbert Hopkins, 47, of Point Blank, was offered a plea deal but turned it down. The sentence would have been 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole, the minimum sentence available for the offense, but Hopkins opted for a jury trial.
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The case went to trial on Monday. Jurors reached a decision on Thursday, convicting Hopkins of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, a first degree felony. Hopkins was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The 10-year-old girl reported the abuse last year. It was determined that the abuse started when she was 3 years old and continued for 6 years.
During the investigation, detectives found another victim who said Hopkins abused her in 1995.