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Offender Databases David Knight

David James Knight

Alias

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Offences

Sexual violation by unlawful connection (x4) and sexual conduct with a ten year old Mt Maunganui girl in January 2007

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1963

Current Location

unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentence to be updated

Background
Fairfax Media story 30th April 2007
Soon after he moved into her Mt Maunganui home as a boarder, a 44-year-old man started sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, Tauranga District Court heard today. Two weeks later the child, in the presence of her 13-year-old sister, contacted the police and showed them a digital camera on which there were nude images of herself. Supermarket employee David James Knight pleaded guilty before Judge Christopher Harding to four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection which each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in jail and one count of sexual conduct with a child under 12 (up to 10 years imprisonment). He was convicted and remanded in custody for sentencing on June 11.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Roy Blomkamp said the 10-year-old and her sister lived with their mother, who worked evening shifts. Knight moved in on January 5 and it was arranged that the board he paid would be discounted for babysitting the girls while their mother was at work. The abuse started while Knight and the girl were sitting watching television. He indecently assaulted her. Soon after, the complainant went to bed and the following evening went into the boarder's bedroom to tell him that what he had done was wrong. He said he had some "naughty movies" to watch and asked her to shut the door. Sgt Blomkamp said Knight again assaulted her indecently, then took photographs of her naked on his bed in various poses, moving her into positions. The next evening, he told the girl he had deleted the photographs "so that he wouldn't get in trouble" and wanted to take some more.

Knight further violated the child on subsequent evenings and showed her photographs he had taken, connecting his digital camera to a television set in his bedroom. He also showed her some photographs of a nude woman who he referred to as his girlfriend, the prosecutor said. Knight was spoken to by police on January 21, the day after the two girls had reported him, and he admitted most of what had happened. He claimed he had not been sexually motivated but had been "curious to know what a 10-year-old girl's body was like." He did not want to have sex with her because she was too young. However, the defendant told police, she was "pretty clued up" and he felt that "he had let her lead him down the garden path". Knight, represented by lawyer Tony Balme, said he did not physically harm the girl nor make her do anything she did not want to do. She was happy to carry out his suggestions, he alleged.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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