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A serial rapist charged with attacking and sexually assaulting three women on Chicago’s South Side has pled guilty according to the Office of Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.

John Hopkins, 36, of 5242 S. Hyde Park Boulevard, pled guilty to three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault for the 2008 attacks and was sentenced to 50 years in prison today by Judge Evelyn Clay. Hopkins will not be eligible for parole until he is 75 years old.

According to prosecutors on October 8, 2008, Hopkins followed the victim to her apartment in the 1300 Block of East Hyde Park Boulevard as she was coming home from work. He snuck in behind her and dragged her through the building to the alley where he sexually assaulted her. Hopkins fled and took some of her personal belongings including her CTA Transit Card.

A few weeks later, Hopkins followed another victim off a CTA Bus and forced her into the back yard of a house in the 6300 block of South Rhodes where he sexually assaulted her.

Chicago Police investigating the attacks tracked Hopkins when he used the first victim’s transit card. Surveillance video shows Hopkins riding the bus with the second victim and following her off when she exits.

Through the video, authorities identified and arrested Hopkins. Several personal items from the first victim were recovered including her work id and keys from defendant’s home. DNA evidence from the attacks was also linked to Hopkins.

While being held at Cook County Jail, authorities learned he was attempting to recruit someone to kill the victims in his cases. During this investigation it was learned that he was also trying to recruit someone to kill a third woman he had assaulted.

Investigators located the third victim who was attacked in the 6300 block of South Artesian on October 18th. DNA that had been obtained at the time of the assault was matched to Hopkins.

Investigators charged Hopkins with soliciting the murder of the victims and the third sexual assault.

Today, Hopkins pled guilty to three counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and was sentenced to 50 years in prison by Judge Evelyn Clay.

State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez thanked Chicago Police Detectives, CTA Officials, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant State’s Attorneys Erica Dillon, Dan Weiss, and Ruth Gudino for their hard work on the case.

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