By Jessie Stensland / South Whidbey Record
A Freeland man who sexually assaulted a sleeping woman at a South Whidbey cabin four years ago was sent to prison Monday.
Island County Superior Court Judge Alan Hancock handed James Knott, 61, the maximum sentence of a year and three months in prison.
In court, Deputy Prosecutor Michael Safstrom said the crime has had a serious impact on the victim’s life. He said she was especially vulnerable since she was homeless at the time of the assault and Knott used that situation to victimize her.
Noting the similarity to the present case, Safstrom said Knott had been convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping 12-year-old girl in 1987.
Knott’s attorney, Walter Peele of Seattle, asked for a 13-month sentence. He said his client thought the sexual contact was consensual.
Peele explained that Knott had been a well-liked commander of the American Legion Post on South Whidbey and met the woman, who was 30 at the time, through that organization. Peele said he interviewed some members who said they thought Knott and the victim had been in a relationship.
Safstrom, however, said he interviewed the same people and they admitted they came to that conclusion because the victim was seen wearing high heels at a bar with Knott.
“This may come as a surprise,” he said, “but wearing high heels does not amount to consenting to sex while one is asleep.”
A community corrections officer completed a pre-sentence investigation report. It states that Knott did not appear to take any responsibility for his action and recommends the maximum sentence.
Court documents state that the victim had become homeless and Knott offered her a place to stay; she did not know until she got there that he would also be at the location.
The woman was sleeping on a couch and woke up to Knott sexually assaulting her. Afterward, the woman and Knott exchanged text messages in which she tells him that she can no longer trust him because he assaulted her, saying that his actions were illegal. He apologized many times and asked for forgiveness.
The court issued a $50,000 warrant for Knott’s arrest in 2015. He was extradited from Connecticut.
This story originally appeared in the South Whidbey Record, a sibling paper of The Daily Herald.
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