Atascadero man sentenced for sexually abusing child in 2018

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. - An Atascadero man has been sentenced to 28 years to life in state prison for sexually abusing a six-year-old child in 2018.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced Tuesday that Fred Raymond Knight, Jr., 46, was sentenced to prison and ordered to register as a sex offender following the felony crime on August 20, 2018.

The DA's office said Knight was previously charged for committing lewd acts on a child in a separate 2011 case.

He was sentenced to three years in state prison in that case.

“Whenever a sexual predator abuses a child, he is responsible for inflicting unimaginable and lasting harm on the victim,” said Dow in a press release. “Sexual predators must be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the law to reflect the longstanding pain and suffering their acts inflict on innocent children and to deter others from committing similar horrible crimes. We commend the courage this very young survivor displayed by reporting the abuse and of the family in patiently working through the legal process necessary to hold this predator accountable."

The DA's office said Knight pleaded no contest to the felony charges in November 2021.

To read the full charging document, click here.