Convicted Felon Used Date Rape Drug on New Victims, Cops Say

A 40-year-old Tampa man released earlier this year from state prison is facing new criminal charges after police say he used benzodiazepine, which is commonly known as the date rape drug, to facilitate an attack on a 16-year-old girl.

The incident in question unfolded on Aug. 15 when three teenagers traveled from Lee County to Tampa. Police say the three girls were approached by John Christopher Knight, who befriended them. Knight, police wrote in an email to media, invited the girls back to his 1518 3rd Ave. E. home.

“While at his home, the suspect provided the victims drinks and the victims could not remember what happened after consuming the drinks,” the email stated. “One of the victims woke up and she was not clothed. Another victim vaguely remembered the suspect trying to remove her pants.”

Unsure of exactly what happened, the three returned to Lee County, police said. One of the girls, however, told her mother about the occurrence. The mother immediately took the girl to a local hospital where a sexual battery examination was performed.

“The blood test came back from the victim with benzodiazepine (date rape drug) in her system,” the email said.

Knight was charged with one count of sexual battery in the case Wednesday. He was also charged with an additional count of sexual battery in regard to a July 26 attack on a 24-year-old woman who also tested positive for the date rape drug. Police have not released the details of that incident.

Additional charges are pending as detectives await blood test results from the other two teenagers in the Aug. 15 attack, the email said.

Knight, who uses the aliases “Spooky Knight” and “Spook Knight,” was convicted of committing a lewd or lascivious act on a victim under 16 in 2005, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records. That case originated out of Sarasota. He was released from state prison in April 2015.

Considering his history and the most recent cases, Tampa police say they have reason to believe there are more victims. Anyone who has had contact with Knight is asked to call the police department at 813-231-6130.

Knight was being held in the Hillsborough County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond Thursday, jail records indicate. He was brought into custody late Wednesday evening.

Booking photo courtesy of the Tampa Police Department