Brief
Man sentenced to 15 years after sex offender changed name and abused his son
Judge Kael McKenzie imposed a 15‑year term on Ryan Knight, whose 2021 name change obscured a prior conviction and led to the abuse of a 13‑year‑old boy.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A Manitoba provincial court sentenced convicted sex offender Ryan Knight to 15 years in prison on Wednesday, after a victim‑impact statement highlighted that his 2021 legal name change concealed a prior child‑molestation conviction and enabled him to gain employment with a family that later hired him to renovate a basement.
What happened
In 2024, a father hired Knight – then known as Ryan Gabourie – to do renovation work, unaware that the man had previously served time for molesting five boys. The father’s 13‑year‑old son was repeatedly sexually abused during visits to Knight’s nearby home. The father later testified that a background check under Knight’s current name returned only a single complaint, which he believed would have been different had the offender been unable to change his surname.
What the reports add
The Winnipeg Free Press notes that the case prompted the provincial government to accelerate Bill 23, the Change of Name Amendment Act, which now requires a criminal‑record check when a name‑change application is filed. Police mugshots from 2013‑14 show the offender as Ryan Gabourie before he legally became Ryan James Knight in 2021.
What was said
Judge Kael McKenzie sentenced Knight to 15 years and urged him to take “every opportunity” to attend counselling so that “no one else has to live with the consequences of your… reprehensible conduct.” Crown attorney Katie Dojack described Knight’s crimes as “premeditated and predatory,” adding that they were not “a one‑time error in judgment or atypical behaviour.” The victim’s father said, “I believe him changing his last name prevented me from discovering his past history,” and lamented the lasting impact on his son’s emotional state.
How it came about
Knight, born Ryan Gabourie, was first sentenced in 2005 to seven years for sexually molesting five boys after entering their homes through unlocked windows and doors. He served the full term and an additional three years for breaching release conditions, including contacting a known sex offender. After changing his name in 2021, he pleaded guilty in July 2026 to one count each of sexual interference and producing child sexual‑abuse material, leading to the current sentencing.
Key facts
- Ryan Knight was sentenced to 15 years in prison. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Knight changed his name from Ryan Gabourie to Ryan James Knight in 2021. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The case accelerated the implementation of Manitoba's Bill 23, requiring criminal‑record checks for name changes. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Crown attorney Katie Dojack called the crimes premeditated and predatory. (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Judge Kael McKenzie urged Knight to attend counselling. (winnipegfreepress.com)
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Sex offender who changed name sent back to prison”
