A man from Washington County, Missouri has pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor and soliciting child sexual abuse material. William R. Murphy, 41, admitted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, Murphy engaged in sexual contact with a juvenile between the ages of 13 and 17. The plea agreement states that Murphy sometimes threatened the victim to obtain images that are considered child sexual abuse material.
Murphy is set for sentencing on April 29. Both the U.S. Attorney’s office and his defense attorney have agreed to recommend a sentence of 27 years in prison.
The investigation was conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children online, as well as to help rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
