Washington County Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Federal Child Exploitation Case

Washington Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A Washington County man will spend nearly three decades in prison after admitting to serious child exploitation crimes. 

41-year-old William Murphy has been sentenced to 29 years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges involving the sexual abuse of a minor.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Murphy pleaded guilty in January to one count of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.

Federal authorities say Murphy engaged in sexual contact with a young girl and used threats to force her into taking sexually explicit photos of herself.

The investigation was conducted by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the FBI. The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at identifying, investigating, and prosecuting individuals involved in child exploitation crimes.

Murphy will now serve nearly three decades in federal prison as a result of the conviction.