Parole board says Hopley is high risk to reoffend, will remain under supervision

A parole board says sex offender Randall Hopley must remain under a supervision order for another year, although his ankle bracelet has been removed and his curfew extended by an hour. 

Hopley, who's 60 years old, has been in the national spotlight several times, including when he abducted a three-year-old boy from a British Columbia home in 2011, only to return the child days later.

He walked away from a residential facility in May last year, setting off a countrywide manhunt, with the board saying it proved again that Hopley can't follow his long-term supervision orders. 

A Parole Board of Canada decision released Thursday says Hopley has several psychological traits that make him resistant to treatment, he's a high risk to reoffend and has a long history of non-compliance with supervision orders. 

The board says it was also mindful of his previous experiences showing his mental health can deteriorate quickly without supports and he needs oversight to help manage his risk in the community.

The board has ruled Hopley is to remain at an undisclosed residential site under the long-term supervision order that expires in 2030, with numerous conditions, including avoiding children and living under a curfew between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

There will also be no leave privileges, the board says. 

"You require very close monitoring and do not have any positive supportive relationships in the proposed release area. You must continue to establish yourself in the community and gain the support of your (case management team)," says the decision dated July 16, 2026. 


This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026. 

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