Orlando Man Accused Of Sex Acts With Ft. Lauderdale Teen
FT. LAUDERDLE (CBS4) – An Orlando man arrested on child porn charges after he allegedly traveled to Hollywood to meet an underage boy at a movie theater is now facing additional charges.
According to police a 15-year old Ft. Lauderdale High teen told investigators he met 43-year old Arthur Murch in an internet chat room three to four months ago. During their chats the teen, who told Murch he was 16-years old, reportedly discussed the possibility of Murch coming to Ft. Lauderdale and the two of them would engaged in sexual intercourse.
Murch and the teen eventually exchanged phone numbers and on September 10th they met at the Coral Ridge Mall on U.S.1 and Oakland Park Boulevard. According to Murch's arrest affidavit, the two talked about "pleasing each other" before they went to the second floor bathroom of a store where they engaged in oral sex.
Murch is now charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious battery on minor and one count of traveling to meet a minor after luring them over an internet service in addition to the 10 counts of possession of child pornography he was charged with after another incident in September.
According to that arrest affidavit, three teenage girls approached on off-duty officer at Flippers Cinema in Hollywood and asked for help to protect their friend. The teens reportedly told the officer that their friend, a 14 year old boy, was in the arcade talking to an adult male who he met over the internet. The officer approached Murch and the juvenile who claimed they were "just friends, according to the affidavit.
Upon further questioning, Murch admitted he had met the juvenile on an Internet chat room and they had been conversing by computer and phone since the juvenile was 13. In those chats, police say, Murch told the victim that he wanted to engage in sexual acts.
Hollywood police officers arrived, searched Murch and allegedly discovered images of child erotica on his cell phone. Murch reportedly admitted to authorities that he is a registered sex offender, and that he knowingly violated probation by meeting with the juvenile.
