MACON, Ga. - A Georgia prison inmate serving a sentence for attempted child molestation pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on an altered prison tablet while incarcerated, according to federal prosecutors.
What we know:
Timothy Jock Knight, 45, pleaded guilty on Thursday, Sept. 3, before a federal judge to one count of possession of child pornography.
Investigators seized two altered prison tablets at Central State Prison in Macon, recovering more than 3,410 child sex abuse material images and search histories regarding child abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal prosecutors said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) launched its probe in 2021 after receiving an Instagram cybertip showing the account "timknight444," had uploaded the material along with Knight's driver's license and profile picture.
The U.S. Attorney's Office stated the GBI found Knight was serving a sentence for attempted child molestation out of Columbia County and was scheduled to be released in January 2027. Knight is now a former inmate at the prison.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 1, where Knight faces between 10 and 20 years in federal prison with no parole, followed by up to lifetime supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
What they're saying:
Federal prosecutors emphasized that Knight continued to target children even while incarcerated.
"It is deeply troubling that, even while serving time for child molestation, this individual continued to seek out and view child sexual abuse material and research ways to harm children," U.S. Attorney Will Keyes said.
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Rob Donovan noted that Knight’s actions proved he remains an active threat.
"There are few crimes more egregious than those perpetrated against children, and in this case the defendant proved he remains a danger to the community, even from a prison cell," Donovan said.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear exactly how many years Knight will serve, as a federal judge will determine the final sentence.
Officials have not said whether his federal sentence will run alongside or after his current state sentence for attempted child molestation.
The Source: Information in this report was provided by an official press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.