Operation nets arrest in alleged child solicitation

TEXARKANA, Texas — A 48-yearold local man has been arrested after allegedly offering money for sex to an undercover officer posing as a 16-yearold girl.

Robert Kelly Murphy, of Texarkana, Arkansas, was arrested Monday on a charge of online solicitation of a minor.

“Murphy first came to our attention several months ago while we were working on other undercover stings. However, we were only recently able to positively identify him as the person behind all the inappropriate communications with our investigator that he thought was a minor,” Texarkana Texas Police Department said in a news release.

A warrant was issued for Murphy, who was arrested by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers Monday at his workplace.

Murphy was booked into Bi-State Detention Center. He was released Wednesday on a $75,000 surety bond.

The undercover operations are part of ongoing investigations “to identify people who seek to harm children,” TTPD spokesman Shawn Vaughn said Wednesday to the Gazette.

“Based upon our investigation, we believe that Murphy may have been involved in other instances of sexual offenses involving minors,” the news release states.

Anyone with information in the investigation is asked to call the Police Department at 903-798-3116.