Court date this week for man charged with child sex assault, porn
TEXARKANA, Texas — Felony charges of sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography have been filed against a Bowie County man arrested in January on a charge of online solicitation of a minor.
Robert Kelly Murphy, 48, of Texarkana, Arkansas, is scheduled for a hearing Thursday in Bowie County 202nd District Court with Judge John Tidwell, according to court records.
Murphy was arrested in January on a charge of online solicitation of a minor after allegedly offering money for sex to an undercover police officer posing as a 16-yearold girl.
Murphy came to the attention of police while they were working on other undercover stings.
The undercover operations were part of ongoing investigations “to identify people who seek to harm children,” police spokesman Shawn Vaughn said.
Murphy was released from jail on Feb. 1 after posting a $75,000 bond on the solicitation charge.
At the time of his arrest in January, two cellphones and a laptop were seized and evidence from the devices resulted in additional charges.
In April, Murphy was arrested in Bowie County on charges of possession of child pornography and sexual assault of a child. He was booked into the Bi-state Detention Center and later released on $200,000 bail.
In Miller County, Murphy has been charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, two counts of patronizing a victim of human trafficking, and possessing, distributing or viewing matter depicting the sexual exploitation of children. He was arrested on those charges earlier this year, according to court records.
Murphy posted a $150,000 bond on those charges and signed a waiver of extradition to Bowie County, according to court records.