HARRISBURG, Pa. – A Lakeside man was charged with the sexual assault of a 9-year-old boy, who police said he met through a Pennsylvania child sex ring with two other alleged child predators before he moved in with a Henrico man who recently admitted to sexually assaulting his Rottweilers.
Details of Craig M. Knox’s felony charges, which stemmed from alleged assaults that occurred in 2010 in Pittston, Luzerne County, were released Wednesday, Nov. 16. by Pennsylvania Attorney General Bruce Beemer.
Agents with the Child Predator Section in June filed criminal charges against two other alleged child predators. Information developed as part of an ongoing investigation led to the charges against Knox.
“This is a troubling case where two men allegedly conspired to exploit a child,” Beemer said.
David R. Parker, 38, of Saylorsburg, Monroe County, is accused of bringing the boy to Knox’s residence for the purpose of arranging sexual contact between the boy and Knox. Investigators also alleged that Parker engaged in sexual contact with the same child.
When Parker’s residence was searched, agents discovered numerous images of suspected child pornography on his cell phone. His arrest coincided with the arrest of Jeffery Harvey, 40, of West Wyoming, Luzerne County, who is charged with trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a person he believed to be a 13-year-old boy. The boy was actually an undercover agent.
Parker had been in contact with Harvey for the purpose of procuring a child for a sexual encounter involving both men and the child, agents alleged in a criminal complaint. Harvey’s case is pending.
Craig M. Knox is shown on the left and Stephen Taylor on the right.
Knox, of Henrico, is charged with one count each of rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child and sexual exploitation of children, as well as two counts of unlawful contact with a minor.
Knox’s bail was set at $500,000 and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30. He is being held in the Luzerne County Prison.
When police showed up to deliver the warrant for Knox’s arrest, they also investigated his roommate, Stephen Matthew Taylor.
Taylor, age 27, was charged eight days later, for animal cruelty and bestiality.
Numerous digital devices and eight Rottweiler dogs were seized, according to the warrant. Multiple images of bestiality with Rottweiler dogs were discovered on the devices.
Warning: Graphic details from the court document are listed below.
Taylor admitted to an officer that he performed oral sex on one of the dogs.
Knox, also admitted to police that Taylor knew he was having sexual contact with the dogs, according to the warrant. Knox told police that he “they talked about having sexual contact with the dogs.”
A dog on the property was examined by a veterinarian and found to have an infection in its penis, anal glands and rectum.
The eight dogs were impounded by police and four of the dogs have been sent to the Richmond Rottweiler rescue group. Two of the dogs are at a Williamsburg rescue group. Two other dogs are currently being evaluated at Henrico’s Animal Care and Control for temperament issues and negative behavior.
