(Nashville, TN)—A Davidson County jury has returned guilty verdicts against a Nashville man on two counts of Aggravated Rape. Larry Hopkins, 56, was convicted on Tuesday of raping a woman at knifepoint after soliciting her for sex. The victim admitted she was working as a prostitute but when she tried to leave the defendant’s vehicle, he punched her in the face, held a knife to her throat, and raped her repeatedly. Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter asked jurors to see the victim for who she is, not what she had done in the past. “When little girls grow up, they dream of being princesses and wearing tiaras. They don’t dream of walking the streets of south Nashville and selling themselves to men like Larry Hopkins. The defendant was in control of this situation and control is what rape is all about,” said Hunter.
Larry Hopkins faces 25 to 40 years in prison when he is sentenced on February 16.
Most women who have worked in prostitution report having been beaten and raped at some point while on the streets. For information on escaping prostitution and trafficking visit www.thistlefarms.org or www.endslaverytn.org. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month.