Former Youth Worker Sentenced to 18 Years for Decades of Child Abuse in NSW

Neville Joseph Knight, 74, admitted to abusing 11 boys over four decades, targeting vulnerable children through youth centers.

Neville Joseph Knight, also known as Neville Roughan, pleaded guilty to 28 charges involving the sexual abuse of 11 boys between the late 1960s and early 2000s.
Knight targeted vulnerable children, including Indigenous boys and those from troubled homes, through his roles at Police Citizens Youth Clubs in rural NSW and Sydney.
The victims, some as young as seven, were subjected to abuse in exchange for money, cannabis, and cigarettes, with Knight exploiting their trust and difficult circumstances.
Judge Timothy Gartelmann sentenced Knight to 18 years in prison, with a 20% reduction for his guilty plea, sparking outrage from victims and their families in court.
Knight, who expressed remorse and was visibly emotional during sentencing, will be eligible for parole in November 2031, with his sentence backdated to 2021.