KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A Vicksburg man has been to 25 years in prison this week, with 10 years of supervised release when he gets out of prison, after he pled guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography.
47-year-old Virgil Chandler Knowles III entered his guilty plea October 14, 2022.
According to federal court records, Knowles and his girlfriend, 35-year-old Samantha Jean Batts, allegedly sexually abused two family members, both under the age of 10.
Undercover FBI agents discovered Knowles in a private online chat room where he admitted to abusing the children. He also told undercover agents that Batts said she wanted to get “something” to make one of the victims sleep according to the filed complaint.
The complaint also said that Knowles shared several explicit photos with the agent, some with Batts in them.
FBI agents then raided two homes in Vicksburg July 14, which led to the arrest of both suspects.
Batts agreed to plead guilty to exploitation of a child back in September and was sentenced in January to 200 months in prison, with seven years of supervised release.
