A 24-year-old Shelton man faces three felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court over allegations that he repeatedly has sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Richard Donald Knight is charged with three counts of third-degree rape of a child, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Knight made an initial appearance in Lewis County Superior Court via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Judge Joely Yeager agreed with bail suggested by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, setting the amount at $250,000. Defense attorney Rachael Tiller, who represents most defendants during their first court appearances, had asked for bail no higher than $50,000.
“I can’t ignore the extensive threat to community safety here,” Yeager said. “This is something that would greatly affect the safety of the community.”
A Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputy was first made aware of a sexual misconduct report regarding Knight on Sept. 20. The reporting party stated Knight had been sexually involved with their 15-year-old daughter.
Another deputy and the parent had identified Knight using information from his Facebook profile and a “call he had been mentioned in,” according to the affidavit of probable cause filed by prosecutors.
The parent said the girl had met Knight on the Duet dating app and had then messaged through SnapChat and Instagram. The girl and Knight met for sex at Glenoma Park. The girl told a relative about the incident, and eventually word got back to the victim’s parents.
The sexual contact reportedly occurred on Saturdays after other members of the victim’s household had gone to sleep. The girl would be picked up by Knight and then taken to the park.
When confronted by a parent, the girl first denied the claim, but then admitted the activity had been happening, according to court documents. The girl feared she had contracted an STD.
The first time the two met, the victim had been looking for someone to buy her a vape.
She said she told Knight she was 15 years old and that he replied, “I know it’s wrong but I don’t care.”
The victim said she met Knight on four occasions and that they had sex three times.
Knight qualified for assigned legal counsel in the case. He will next appear in Lewis County Superior Court next Thursday for an arraignment and trial setting hearing.
He remained in Lewis County Jail as of Thursday evening.
