San Diego County Sheriff's Deputy Accused Of Child Molestation

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – A San Diego County sheriff's deputy was arrested this week on suspicion of child molestation, according to jail records. After spending a day in a Riverside County jail, he posted $65,000 bail and was released from custody.

Sam Thomas Knight, 40, was taken into custody Tuesday, according to Riverside County jail records. He was booked into the Cois M. Byrd Detention Center near Murrieta on charges of lewd/lascivious acts on a child under 14, lewd/lascivious acts with a child under 14 with force, and annoying/molesting children. He was released on Wednesday after paying bail.

Riverside County sheriff's officials said an investigation into Knight first began in July 2016.

"Staff at the Perris Sheriff's Station received information regarding a sexual assault of a minor," a sheriff's representative told Patch via email Thursday.

Additional details about the alleged assault were not provided. However, officials said they located Knight and arrested him "without incident" this week. They said the investigation took some time to complete.

Meanwhile, San Diego County sheriff's officials said they were working with their Riverside County counterparts in the case.

"It is clear that Sheriff Gore felt that Mr. Knight should not be a deputy sheriff, and the sheriff's separtment did everything possible to ensure that was in fact the case," the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a statement to Patch. "The sheriff's department was made aware of this investigation from the beginning and cooperated fully with the Riverside sheriff's detectives."

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department had no further comment on Knight's arrest and referred any questions about his case to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

Patch Editor Renee Schiavone contributed to this report

Image via Riverside County Sheriff's Department