William 'Tim' Hopmeier is charged with producing child pornography.
A veteran of the St. Louis garage band scene is facing a federal charge of producing child pornography.
William Timothy Hopmeier, who played in the Cripplers along with numerous other groups, was taken into custody on Wednesday at his home in Des Peres. A tipster had told Des Peres police that the middle-aged guitarist had arranged for a sexual encounter with an underage girl. Officers raided the house shortly after and found eight adults and the minor.
Hopmeier, 47, eventually admitted to various sexual acts with the girl and let investigators search his iPhone, according to court records. A video filmed in July 2017 showed another person performing oral sex on the girl as Hopmeier, who was naked at the time, recorded with his phone, authorities say.
A detective with an FBI task force writes in an affidavit that Hopmeier knew the girl was underage because Des Peres police had taken her from his house before — in September 2017 — while serving a juvenile warrant.
Hopmeier told investigators that he had sex with the girl recently but only because he thought she was now seventeen. She wasn't. The girl told police she just turned sixteen in December and was just fifteen when the iPhone video was recorded.
Hopmeier was indicted Thursday in federal court on a charge of producing child pornography.
He has been a mainstay in the St. Louis music scene for years, appearing under his middle name, Tim. He was best known for the now-defunct band the Cripplers, but he also played with the Argonauts and Long John Thomas and the Duffs among others. He most recently performed with the Havishams, playing bass and singing on a 2016 record, but he quit the band several months ago.
Jeff Kopp, a DJ and concert promoter known as "Kopper," used to promote some of the Cripplers' shows back in the early 2000s. He said Hopmeier was generally cordial and he never noticed anything weird.
"It's pretty surprising to read this and find this out about him," Kopp says.
Hopmeier had also worked as a barber throughout the metro area, but his license expired last fall, according to public records. He told police he had not worked since October 2017.
He is being held without bond.
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