December 4th 2024.
Please be advised that the following story may contain disturbing details and content that could be distressing for some readers. It is about an ex-youth worker in Australia who has recently been sentenced to jail for abusing young boys over a span of four decades. This man, Neville Joseph Knight, also known as Neville Roughan, used to work at two Police Citizens Youth Clubs in rural New South Wales, where most of the indecent acts and assaults took place. He was a boxing trainer at one club and later moved to Sydney before returning to help establish another PCYC in a different country town.
It is reported that Knight met eight of his victims through these youth centres. Interestingly, his sister Katherine was infamous for being the first Australian woman to be jailed for life for killing her husband and dismembering his body. She even cooked and ate parts of his body. While Knight was being sentenced at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, he was visibly emotional, crying and shaking as he listened to the judge hand him a maximum 18-year jail term.
As the judge described Knight's crimes in graphic detail, the elderly man cried out in protest, saying "No, no, no." It was revealed that Knight would receive a 20% discount for pleading guilty, which angered one of his victims who screamed out in the court's public gallery, threatening to have Knight killed. One of Knight's victims, an Indigenous boy aged 12 or 13, was sexually assaulted by him in Sydney's west. Knight even became enraged when the boy brought home a girlfriend. He also sexually abused the boy's younger brother, aged nine or 10, for which he later apologized, claiming he wanted redemption, forgiveness, and did not want to go to hell.
Another victim, a boy who had previously been sexually assaulted, woke up to find Knight in his camp bed. Additionally, Knight offered money to a seven-year-old boy, whose mother was a heroin addict, in exchange for sexual favors. Another 11-year-old boy, whose mother was an alcoholic, also suffered at the hands of Knight. He was told to retrieve $20 notes from Knight's underwear and was abused in Knight's granny flat.
In 2001, Knight's sister-in-law found a recording of him apologizing for his actions towards one of his victims. Despite this, Knight continued to molest another victim in exchange for money, cannabis, and cigarettes, even after the victim acquired a brain injury in an accident. In the early 2000s, Knight would let boys from a nearby school smoke cannabis, watch DVDs, and play video games at his home, where he would also abuse another youth.
During sentencing, Judge Timothy Gartelmann acknowledged the harm done to Knight's victims, stating that they suffered fear, anxiety, and a sense of guilt and shame. However, the judge also noted that Knight had shown remorse prior to his arrest in July 2021 and was visibly affected when the victim impact statements were read in court. Knight will be eligible for parole in November 2031.
For those who may need support, please reach out to Lifeline at 13 11 14 or beyond blue at 1300 22 4636. The National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT is also available for support.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
