ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Wednesday sentenced a Washington County, Missouri man to 29 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl and soliciting child sexual abuse material from her.
William R. Murphy, 41, engaged in sexual contact with a juvenile when she was between the ages of 13 and 17. Sometimes Murphy threatened the victim to take sexually explicit photos of herself.
Murphy pleaded guilty in January 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.
“William Murphy’s abhorrent crimes were uncovered because a vigilant mother trusted her instincts and took action to protect her child,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Child predators often rely on fear and manipulation to silence their victims. Parents must remain engaged; set clear expectations and monitor your child’s online activity to help keep them safe.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Eastern District of Missouri — U.S. Department of Justice press release.