A former inmate at Central State Prison in Macon who was serving a sentence for child molestation is facing up to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material on an altered J-pay tablet while behind bars.
Timothy Jock Knight, 45, formerly of Central State Prison, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Mark Treadwell on September 3. Knight faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to a maximum of 20 years in prison to be followed by a maximum lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for Dec. 1, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system.
“It is deeply troubling that, even while serving time for child molestation, this individual continued to seek out and view child sexual abuse material and research ways to harm children,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of state and federal authorities, the defendant was identified and will be held accountable.”
“There are few crimes more egregious than those perpetrated against children, and in this case the defendant proved he remains a danger to the community, even from a prison cell,” said Rob Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “We will take every opportunity to leverage our digital forensic technology to thwart the activity of distributors and consumers of child sexual abuse materials, no matter their location.”
“Child sexual abuse material is a horrific form of exploitation that continues to victimize children long after the abuse itself occurs. Those responsible must be held accountable,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI will never back down in the fight against this crime, and remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our children and hold criminals accountable.”
“Any type of criminal activity perpetrated from behind the walls of our facilities will not be tolerated, and we are grateful to our federal and state partners for their assistance in bringing this case to a close,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation received a Cybertip generated by Instagram in reference to the distribution of child sexual abuse material in 2021. Instagram reported that a subject account named “timknight444,” uploaded two images depicting CSAM. The tip included Knight’s profile picture and his driver’s license. GBI found Knight was serving a state sentence for attempted child molestation out of the Superior Court of Columbia County, Georgia, and was housed at Central State Prison, scheduled for release in January 2027.
The GBI obtained search warrant results for Knight’s Instagram account and collected two J-Pay tablets at Central State Prison. One tablet was found in Knight’s locker and had been altered but did not contain CSAM. Investigators found the second tablet with Knight when they confiscated it. Investigators confirmed that the tablet was altered and that it contained CSAM. Also, the device contained Google search histories for information on abusing, trafficking, and raping children. Investigators found 3,410 unique artifacts of CSAM material that include images of prepubescent children. Most images came from five different video series.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The GBI, the Georgia Department of Corrections, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Monica Brown and Julius Jefferson are prosecuting the case for the Government.
This is a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
