The Office of the Attorney General plans to introduce new evidence that a retired Army reservist who is accused of sexually abusing two minors committed other acts of child molestation.<\/p>\n
Assistant attorney general Betsy Weintraub informed the Superior Court on Monday that, in one case, the government plans to introduce evidence that 54-year-old Michael Barry Murphy sexually molested the aunt of one victim from 1994 to 2004 when she was a minor. The victim in this case is now 21 years old.<\/p>\n
The incidents allegedly happened between June to August 2007 and June to August 2008, according to court documents.<\/p>\n
In this case, the OAG charged Murphy with two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, and one count of indecent exposure in the first degree. <\/p>\n
The aunt is now 26 years old, according to Weintraub.<\/p>\n
Weintraub said defense counsel Janet H. King has been provided with discovery that summarizes the aunt\u2019s expected testimony.<\/p>\n
King asked the court yesterday to grant a preliminary hearing so that Murphy can obtain information regarding the charges against him and file a bill of particulars.<\/p>\n
A bill of particulars refers to a list of written statements made by a party to a court proceeding, upon demand of another party in the case that seeks for more details of a claim or defense.<\/p>\n
Murphy is currently released in the other criminal case after posting a $50,000 bond. <\/p>\n
The other case charged the defendant with sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree and sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. In that case, he allegedly sexually abused a 4-year-old girl on Aug. 6, 2016.<\/p>\n
King said the court has discretion to determine whether Murphy is substantially deprived, pointing out that Murphy had to pay a $50,000 cash bail and had to surrender his travel documents.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a substantial condition that infringes upon defendant\u2019s constitutional right to travel, and deprives him of substantial liberty interests,\u201d the defense counsel said.<\/p>\n
King added that a preliminary hearing should also give Murphy a reasonable opportunity to learn of the basis of the charges against him and to file a bill of particulars.<\/p>\n
At a preliminary hearing last August in the case involving a 4-year-old girl, Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio found probable cause to believe that the crimes of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor were committed and that Murphy may have committed the offenses. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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