Murphy withdraws request for change of plea hearing

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A Fillmore man accused of child molestation has withdrawn his request for a change of plea hearing.

A final pretrial for Lee Alan Murphy, 35, is set for Aug. 6. Should his case proceed to trial, it will begin on Aug. 26. Putnam County Senior Judge Robert Lowe ordered that any plea agreements be filed no later than July 30 and that any motions, final witness lists and pre-marked exhibits be filed by July 31.

The alleged victim in the case told authorities that Murphy had made her perform various sexual acts, but that she was unsure of how long it had been going on.

Murphy was charged after representatives from Putnam County Child Protective Services contacted the Indiana State Police about a possible case of child molestation.

Murphy met with ISP detectives at the Putnamville post, court documents said, where he corroborated much of the alleged victim's story.

Murphy told officers he believed the incidents involving himself and the alleged victim occurred between the summer of 2007 and the fall of 2008.

Murphy is charged with two counts of Class A felony child molesting, both punishable by up to 50 years in prison; two counts of Class B felony sexual misconduct with a minor, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each; Class C felonies child molesting and sexual misconduct with a minor, both punishable by up to eight years in prison; and a Class D felony count of dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, which could net him three years behind bars.

Murphy has been in the Putnam County Jail since his March 11 arrest. He pled not guilty to all charges on March 13.

No plea agreements have been extended in the case, and Murphy's bond was set at $50,000 cash only.

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