(Lake County, FL) Yesterday, in the courtroom of Judge James R. Baxley, jurors found 36-year-old John Tharan Knotts guilty on all charges. Knotts was charged with 19 felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography (10 or more images).

“With this conviction, we take another child predator off our streets,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. “We have no tolerance for those who possess child pornography or commit any other crimes against children.”

Knotts was arrested in February of 2022 following a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation after officials received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating an online user had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material.

While investigating the tip, FDLE Agent Torres obtained an IP address from the account used to upload and distribute the illicit material. After issuing an investigative subpoena to the internet servicer, Agent Torres learned the account owner was Knotts, with a registered address off Barksdale Drive in Leesburg, FL.

Officials responded to Knotts’s residence, where they seized various electronic devices for forensic examination. After locating numerous files of child pornography, an arrest warrant was issued for Knotts, who was incarcerated at the time on other child pornography charges.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Kati Cosden and Eduardo Faria.

Published on 06/11/2026.