California police arrest parolee for violent sexual assault of a minor: 'He's absolutely a monster'

A California man was arrested for a violent sexual assault of a minor, and he has a long criminal past, said police.

The victim was so severely injured in the attack that they were taken to a children's hospital for surgery.

'When you take the innocence of a young minor like that, you're a monster.'

Chowchilla police and the Madera County Sheriff's Office performed a search at the residence of 40-year-old Arthur Dean Knapp, who was arrested for charges related to the alleged assault that occurred on Thursday.

"To do something like this, he's absolutely a monster. When you take the innocence of a young minor like that, you're a monster," said Jeffrey Palmer, the Chowchilla chief of police.

"He is a dangerous person and quite honestly after this, he is somebody that should never be out on the streets," he added.

Knapp is facing charges, including rape, assault, and attempted murder.

Police said he had a long criminal past including a conviction in 2019 for domestic violence. He was sentenced to six years in prison, and then in 2021, was sentenced again to six years in prison on charges that included assault. Knapp was on parole when he was arrested for the new charges.

Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno told KFSN-TV that laws had grown lenient over the last decade but that she would make sure that Knapp was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law once the investigation is completed.

Palmer asked the community to avoid trying to find the victim's identity out of respect for their privacy.

"We're now having to talk about a young victim who is going to have to put their life together and they don't need everybody asking on social media who this victim is and quite honestly violating their rights of privacy," he said.

KFSN published the man's booking photo on its news report on YouTube.

Chowchilla is a small town of about 20,000 residents in central California.

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