The defense’s motions for a new trial and judgment of acquittal were denied.

On April 30, a jury found Knight, 53, guilty of two counts of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child under the age of 14. The charges stemmed from two separate incidents that took place in Leavenworth in February and March of 2023.

According to court documents, Leavenworth Police were called after Knight was seen touching the victim’s private area during a get-together at a home in early March. During the investigation, it was discovered Knight also inappropriately touched the victim during an incident that happened in February.

“We hate that children have to testify in cases like this. We admire their strength in ensuring a conviction,” Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said.

As to the motions due to a juror saying they changed their mind, Thompson continued, “This is something I haven’t seen before but has happened. Case law has stated that jurors are given every possibility to select the verdict at the time, and it would go against our justice system to overturn a case after the fact for this. We appreciate that casting judgment on someone may not be easy for some. We are grateful for the juries that serve.”

This case was prosecuted by Assistant County Attorney Chris Lyon and Deputy County Attorney Shawn Boyd.