Police catch another online predator in sting operation

An Internet police sting this week netted another arrest of a man accused of soliciting a young girl online for sex.

Edward M. Murphy, 43, of Farmington, was arrested by the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department for arranging to have sex with a child he believed to be a 13-year-old girl, who was actually an undercover sheriff's officer, according to a probable cause statement.

This was the department's second arrest since an ongoing undercover operation targeting sexual predators on the Internet began in March, according to Deputy Chief Leo McElrath.

Murphy, of Farmington, Mo., used the screen name "bladeofgrass" and contacted the officer posing as a minor on March 8 via Yahoo! Messenger, according to a probable cause statement. The two had sexual conversations and the defendant offered to have sex with the girl.

On Sunday, Murphy asked the girl how to get to her home and was given directions to a residence near Zalma, Mo. area. He was arrested around 7:25 p.m. when he entered the home.

Inside Murphy's vehicle, police found a map of the Zalma area, the girl's address and telephone number, and a small metal box containing 10 condoms and two packs of personal lubrication, the statement read.

Murphy was charged with felony attempted statutory rape and his bond was set at $25,000 cash.

The defendant was scheduled for arraignment today before Associate Circuit Judge Scott Thomsen.

In an unrelated case, Irvin E. Holderbaugh, 40, of 924 E. Independence St. in Cape Girardeau, was arrested March 11 and charged with attempted statutory rape and enticement of a child.

He is accused of arranging a meeting in Jackson's City Park to have sex with a 14-year-old girl, who was actually a Bollinger County Sheriff's officer. Holderbaugh, whose case was being heard in Mississippi County on a change of venue, was up for arraignment Tuesday afternoon.

One week before Holderbaugh's arrest, Robert C. Wells, 45, of 2515 Horseshoe Ridge, was arrested in a Cape Girardeau police operation for attempting to arrange a meeting with a fictional 15-year-old girl for sex.

Wells was charged with attempted statutory rape and scheduled to appear in New Madrid County court July 25.

A similar but separate undercover operation in the Kennett, Mo. area netted 15 people, including a Jackson man, over the course of one month.

Like the other arrests, local law enforcement in Kennett posed as underage youth online and were solicited by adults.

"I think it's something that's a necessity," McElrath said of conducting undercover stings, adding he was surprised people would still attempt to solicit minors online in light of media coverage of the busts.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

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