Hypnotherapist, 58, who placed a woman under a trance then ‘commanded’ her to take her clothes off before sexually assaulting her is jailed for 29 months

• Hypnotherapist Ian Roper, 58, was sentenced to 29 months imprisonment
• He pleaded guilty to causing a woman to engage in sexual activity with him
• Roper used hypnosis to ‘command’ her to strip and then rubbed her body 
• The judge ruled Roper’s interests were motivated by ‘selfish and sexual’ desires 

A hypnotherapist who place a woman ‘under’ his spell and sexually assaulted her has been jailed for 29 months.

Ian Roper, 58, ‘commanded’ the victim to remove her clothing while making her think she was sitting on a hot sun bed and rubbing sun cream on her body, a court heard. He then caused the woman to engage in sexual activity without her consent.

When the mesmerised woman finally woke up, Roper attempted to ‘put her under again’ so she wouldn’t know what had happened.

Roper initially claimed the allegations against him were false, but he later pleaded guilty during a trial at Bradford Crown Court. 

The judge, issuing his sentence on Friday, told Roper his interests had been motivated by ‘selfish and sexual’ desires. 

Hypnotherapist Ian Roper (pictured) has been jailed for more than two years after causing a woman to engage in sexual activity with him while she was ‘under’ his spell

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

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’.

He said the complainant then started sitting closer to her.

Mr McGonigal told the court: ‘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: ‘She wanted to get away as soon as possible.’

After the woman complained to the police, Roper told officers he’d never had sexual liaisons with anyone while under hypnosis.

But during a later police investigation, officers found five indecent images of children and one prohibited image of a child on Roper’s laptop.

Roper 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.

He added: ‘He’s no intention at all to continue hypnotherapy with ladies or gentlemen.’

Roper initially claimed the allegations against him were false, but he later pleaded guilty during a trial at Bradford Crown Court (pictured). The judge, issuing his 29-month prison sentence on Friday, told Roper his interests had been motivated by ‘selfish and sexual’ desires

Recorder David Gordon on Friday jailed him for 25 months for the sexual offence with an additional 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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