January 2009 Paedophile jailed for abusing girl, 11 A JUDGE sparked fury after praising a sick paedophile as “courageous” for admitting his guilt. A PAEDOPHILE has been jailed for a series of sexual assaults on an 11-year-old girl then offered her cash to keep quiet. Brent Knowles, aged 34, of Friars Crescent, Kirkholt, was jailed for three years and four months  pleaded guilty to eight offences over a period of nine months. She was too scared to tell anyone and misbehaved at school, getting expelled. The pervert, 34, was finally exposed when the girl told a relative. When he pleaded guilty to a child sex charge, Judge Maureen Roddy, 54, told him: “I accept that was a courageous act.” She said the admission made him a member of the “most vilified group” in society. Knowles pleaded guilty to three counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, three counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13. He was told that when he is released, he must sign the sex offenders register for an indeterminate period and is banned from working with children.