Judge finds probable cause in Internet sex sting case

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A man arrested in an undercover police sting targeting sexual predators was told as many as five times that the online profile he was soliciting was a 13-year-old girl, a deputy testified Wednesday.

Edward M. Murphy, 43, of Farmington, Mo., was bound over to circuit court when Associate Circuit Judge Scott E. Thomsen found probable cause to continue the case.

Murphy, charged with attempted statutory rape, appeared in Bollinger County court for the preliminary hearing before Thomsen.

Bollinger County deputy Kevin Otte testified that he began a Internet sting targeting sexual predators on March 8. The deputy created a profile on MySpace.com and posed as a 13-year-old girl. Through the Web site, Otte sent out a mass message to other local profiles to become their friends.

Murphy responded to the profile, exchanged messages and spoke over Yahoo! Messenger. During the conversations, the profile told Murphy as many as five times that she was 13, Otte said.

In late April, the conversations became sexual, and Murphy said in "adult terms" that he wanted to have sex with the girl, according to Otte. Murphy asked for and was given directions to a home in Zalma, Mo., where the girl supposedly lived.

On April 30, Murphy drove to Zalma and was arrested when he went inside the home where he was told the girl lived, Otte said.

In Murphy's vehicle, police found a map of the Zalma area and 10 condoms, Otte testified.

Thomsen scheduled Murphy to appear before Circuit Judge William Syler on June 23 for arraignment.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127