FIRST ON 3: Former UNCW Asst. AD arrested for soliciting sex at Hugh MacRae Park

A former UNCW assistant athletic director is accused of soliciting sex in a county park. 39-year-old Thomas McKnight was arrested at Hugh MacRae park for committing crime against nature. It happened April 1 in broad daylight.

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office says McKnight approached a male undercover officer in a parking lot at the park just after 3 p.m. Three other people were arrested the same day on similar charges.

“We have particularly been targeting the nighttime hours for vandalism and other things,” New Hanover County parks director Jim McDaniel said. “So I’ve actually been pleased by this because we are literally driving them to a different time period and something that is easily caught. So I look at this as a huge step in keeping our parks safe.”

McKnight was an assistant athletic director for facilities and event management at the university. He worked there for a little more than a year before resigning last week.