A Rockingham man with a vast criminal past reaching back more than 25 years is headed back to state prison for the sexual assault of a 16 year old girl on Jan. 14, 2012, according to court documents.
Johnny Ray Knight, 43, of 147 Middle St., Rockingham, pleaded guilty last week to second degree rape and second degree sexual offense, and was sentenced to serve 10-17 years for the second degree rape and 10-17 years for the second degree sexual offense, according to court documents.
Knight was initially charged with one count of first degree rape, one count of first degree sexual offense and one count of incest for the January 2012 attack. The state dismissed charges of incest and habitual felon, according to court documents.
Knight was given 431 days of credit for time served for the second degree rape conviction and will have to serve his time consecutively, according to the court file.
Once released, Knight must register as a sex offender and will have to wear an electronic monitoring device for the rest of his life, the court documents said.
He is prohibited from ever contacting the victim based upon evidence that said he threatened her life with a knife, records show.
The crime occurred Jan. 14, 2012, near Airline Drive in Rockingham. After an extensive manhunt, Knight was arrested on Jan. 15, 2012, through the combined efforts of the Rockingham Police Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, FBI, SWAT and the Hamlet Police Department.
Knight has an extensive criminal record, with prior convictions dating back to 1986. According to court records, Knight was convicted of misdemeanor larceny twice in 1986; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, injury to real property and resisting a public officer in 1987; disorderly conduct in 1988; contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, felony possession of stolen goods, and resisting a public officer in 1989; felony breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering in 1991; felony breaking and entering three times and second degree murder in 1997, communicating threats in 2005; communicating threats, assault on a female and misdemeanor escape from state prison in 2006 and possession of stolen goods in 2011.
— Staff Writer Laura Edington can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at ledington@civitasmedia.com.
This, my fellow citizens is truly, truly a "Crying shame".
louis b long et al.