In February 2019, the Offender Database reported that Rocky Knight, then 47, of Masefield Drive, Farnworth, Bolton, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after distributing some of the most “distressing” child abuse material to a network of other predators. Knight was caught after a man in Ireland became so alarmed by the nature of their communications that he alerted the Gardaí, who then notified Greater Manchester Police.
The court heard that Knight used Blackberry Messenger, WhatsApp, and Kik to exchange images with eight different paedophiles across the globe. Forensic analysis of his devices, including a Blackberry mobile phone, uncovered 21 Category A images—the most severe classification—showing children aged eight to 12 being abused and visibly distressed. Even more disturbing were the Category B images, which depicted children between the ages of one and three years old. Investigators noted that while Knight did not make specific web searches for the material, he used chat services to source and distribute it, engaging in conversations about sexual preferences regarding children.
Knight’s criminal history also includes a conviction for illegal puppy farming in an RSPCA case in December 2017. When confronted with the child abuse evidence, he initially did not comment and later claimed he had been “forced” into distributing the images before finally admitting his guilt. Judge Richard Gioserano remarked that Knight would have faced immediate prison time had he not already spent six months on remand awaiting his sentence.
Rocky Knight was sentenced to a two-year community order, ordered to perform 100 hours of unpaid work, and must participate in 40 days of rehabilitation activities. As part of his sentence, he was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which restricts his use of technology and internet-enabled devices to prevent further contact with other offenders.
As a result of his conviction for making and distributing indecent images of children, Knight has been a registered sex offender for five years. He is managed under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in the Farnworth and Bolton areas. This involves ongoing monitoring by the National Probation Service and Greater Manchester Police to ensure he complies with his SHPO and does not return to the digital platforms he used to facilitate his crimes.
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