(Update) Knowlton Out of Jail, Psychosexual Evaluation Ordered

Update (Dec. 22, 2:50 p.m.) George Michael Knowlton was released from Dakota County Jail yesterday (Dec. 21) after appearing before Judge Karen Asphaug for the alleged violations of the conditions of his release earlier this fall.

Answering the phone at his Inver Grove Heights Home on Dec. 22 Knowlton declined to comment on his case.

"Yeah, I don’t think so," he said when asked if he would like to tell his side of the story.

"He was released with no additional sanctions at this time," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said. And the "no contact" clause was made very clear, again, the attorney said. Knowlton is to have no contact with the victim or any females under 18.

"'No contact' couldn't have been clearer," Backstrom said.

Asphaug ordered a pre-plea pre-sentence investigation (PSI), which is unusual Backstrom said because the investigations are typically done after a plea has been entered.

"Given the circumstances and the repeated contact we asked for the pre-plea PSI and the judge ordered it," he said. 

The judge also ordered a psychosexual evaluation.

His next court appearance is March 5, 2012. 

Update (Dec. 21, 3:20 p.m.) A Facebook comment, a cell phone call and attendance at a sporting event was enough to land former Simley High School soccer player George Michael Knowlton in jail Wednesday morning.

Interim Inver Grove Heights Police Chief Larry Stanger said a warrant was issued for Knowlton for violating his bail conditions on Dec. 16. Stanger also said the 18-year-old Inver Grove Heights boy turned himself in to the Dakota County Jail.

The warrant was issued after police learned Knowlton violated three terms of his conditional release. He was charged on Sept. 19 and released on an alternate bail order of his own recognizance—which required he "have no contact with the victim, no entry into the victim’s home and no contact with females under the age of 18," Stanger said.

However, the victim’s parents came to police Nov. 23, saying their daughter’s former boyfriend had called the cell phone of a friend of hers and talked to their daughter through the friend's phone earlier that month. They also said on Oct. 15 Knowlton had left a comment on a photo of the girl which had been posted on Facebook.

While investigators were confirming the violations, Stanger said, Knowlton went to a Dec. 13 sporting event in which the victim participated.

"Watching the game expedited the investigation," Stanger said.

There were people at the event confirming both the suspect and victim were at the game.

While he did not hear the conversation the issuing judge had with Knowlton in September, Stanger said "no contact" includes indirect or electronic contact, which is why the warrant was issued.

The statutory rape law in violation here, Stanger said, is set in place to protect juveniles.

"Just because it’s consensual doesn’t mean the person consenting is of age to be giving consent," the interim chief said. "The thought and reasoning process isn’t the same for a young person and they may not be able to make proper choices."

He said he was unsure if a message was being sent to other teenagers who were dating but wanted them to be aware of the law.

"Kids will date, but when it comes to taking the relationship to the next step where activity could become illegal, that’s when they all need to be aware of their age, of the law and what the law says they can and can’t do at their age," Stanger said.

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Update (Dec. 21, 2:10 p.m.) Tsistas Yang, a former teammate of George Michael Knowlton's, told Patch he thinks Knowlton's punishment does not fit his alleged crime.

Knowlton—charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly engaging in consensual sex with his then 14-year-old girlfriend—is currently in custody in the Dakota County Jail after being arrested on a warrant this morning. 

"People are shocked. Yes, he dated a freshman, but George is not the only person to date a freshman," Yang said. "They both wanted this relationship and both put 100 percent in to trying to make it work. He’s getting 100 percent of the punishment and she’s getting nothing. She was in it, too."

The unfairness of the law, Yang said, has driven him to . 

The amendment would protect 18-year-olds involved in consensual intimate relationships with 14- to 16-year-old minors from being classified as sex offenders, provided the older party has no prior convictions and is not more than 48 months older than the younger party.

Yang, who is days shy of his 19th birthday, is studying criminal justice at Briar Cliff University. He said he hasn’t had classes on sexually based crimes yet but has done research of his own and sees a need for a change in the law.

"I know of at least three other seniors at Simley who are dating freshmen, It happens a lot," Yang said. "George is not the first one. It happens a lot more than people think. It will happen in the future, It has happened in the past. It’s never gonna stop."

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Editor's note: An update was made to this story at 12:45 p.m. after hearing back from a District 199 official.

Original story (Dec. 21, 10:26 a.m.) A former senior was arrested on a warrant this morning on felony charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with an case that occurred last summer.

George Michael Knowlton, 18, is alleged to have engaged in consensual sexual penetration with a 14-year-old girl throughout July and August 2011.

Knowlton was enrolled as a senior at Simley High School at the time of his arrest in Sept. 2011 but is no longer enrolled in the school, District 199 communications coordinator Johnny Germscheid confirmed.

Germscheid was unable to comment on Knowlton's current educational status citing district policy.

Knowlton is currently being held in the Dakota County Jail pending the results of an investigation.

The basis of the warrant for Knowlton's arrest is unclear. Phone calls to were not immediately returned.

Similarly, phone calls to Simley High School principal Jerry Skala and Activities Director Will Short were also not returned.

The office of Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom was not aware of Knowlton's arrest this morning.

If convicted of the charges against him, Knowlton faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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