A Farmington resident, Michael F.J. Murphy, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announced the plea yesterday.
Murphy, aged 45, admitted to one count of possession of child pornography in Concord’s federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro has set Murphy’s sentencing for October 14, 2025.
Court documents reveal that in December 2023, Murphy shared a video depicting CSAM with law enforcement through a file-sharing platform.
The legal statute for this offense allows for a prison sentence of up to 10 years. However, if the material involves a prepubescent minor or a minor under 12 years old, the maximum penalty increases to 20 years. The statute also mandates supervised release from five years to life and imposes a potential fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Idaho Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. Assistance came from several organizations including the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, United Kingdom South East Regional Crime Unit, and Farmington Police Department. Assistant U.S Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. This project utilizes resources from various levels of government to locate and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
