“Wicked” Lepton pensioner Keith Knight jailed for 7 years for child sex abuse

Jan 23 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A WICKED pensioner was jailed for seven years for grooming and sexually abusing three young girls.

Keith Knight, of Lepton, appeared at Leeds Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced after a jury found him guilty of 20 child sex offences.

After the case, a relative of one of the girls said Knight should have got at least 10 years in jail for the evil acts he had committed.

Judge Peter Hunt said Knight, previously of Ings Way East, had carried out “very wicked” acts and had “groomed” the three young girls.

He said: “The offending has taken place over a very long period of time – over the past two decades.

“You would take advantage of opportunities to be alone with them.

“It was a gross betrayal of trust and it brought untold distress to the victims.

“Worst of all is the lasting psychological harm you have caused to the victims.”

Judge Hunt said the most serious offence Knight, 72, had committed was trying to force one girl to perform oral sex on him.