An Ohio student wrote an essay for her a high school class about “overcoming obstacles,” and her story helped convict a man who sexually assaulted her and her little sisters numerous years prior.
Associated Press reports that Sandusky County detectives investigated the incident after Vanguard Tech Center school officials turned the essay over to child protective services, which detailed sexual assault doled out by 43-year-old Anthony Knight.
“The class was asked, I believe, to write an essay pertaining to obstacles that they had overcome in their life and she had disclosed that she had been sexually abused as a child,” Detective Sergeant Kenneth Arp with the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office told Toledo’s NBC11.
The student’s two sisters also came forward, although they were reluctant at first since the abuse had happened numerous years ago. The youngest victim was a 7-year-old when Knight started abusing her. Arp indicated that the victims’ family learned of the abuse years ago but instead of calling authorities, the confronted Knight.
Knight was apparently taking care of the girls when the sexual abuse began, according to the Port Clinton News Herald. He sexually assaulted the girls for numerous years.
Knight was indicted on 12 counts of rape but pleaded guilty to three counts on Tuesday. County Common Pleas Court Judge John Dewey sentenced Knight to 20 years behind bars. He’s also been ordered to register as a Tier III sex offender for the rest of his life.
“I think that these types of things happen a lot more often then what the average person might think that it does,” Detective Arp told WTOL. “I think that if you talk to different investigators around the area they will tell you that they work a lot of sexual assault cases similar to this. This one happens to have a positive outcome and unfortunately a lot don’t, but I think it sends a great message.”
[Feature Photo: Anthony Knight/Sandusky County Jail]
