PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Port St. Lucie police today announced the arrest of a Michigan family medicine doctor accused of soliciting a parent to allow sexual activity with their child.
Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said on Wednesday that Dr. William J. Murdoch, 45, was arrested as part of an undercover investigation by the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
WATCH: Doctor messaged Port St. Lucie detective posing as mom
Murdoch was arrested Tuesday by a United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force at ProMedica Monroe Regional Hospital in Monroe, Michigan.
The doctor is accused of communicating online with a person he believed was the mother of a 5-year-old girl, in order to groom and then establish a sexual relationship with the girl.
Niemczyk said in this case a detective created an online profile that "certain people would probably find appealing and attractive," and then they "allow the predators to come to them."
WATCH: Chief Leo Niemczyk speaks about arrest of William J. Murdoch
The chief said Murdoch was "extremely explicit" about what he wanted to do to the 5-year-old, and was willing to travel to Florida in order to spend time with her and establish himself as a "father figure."
According to the arrest affidavit, Murdoch, using a fake name, messaged a detective posing as a 36-year-old woman from Port St. Lucie, asking how old her daughters were. The affidavit states this was in a group chat specifically about sexual abuse of children.
He asked if she was a "bad mom" then asked if she's "open minded." Murdoch tells her he's been thinking about this scenario for "years and years and years" but has never acted on it.
Port St Lucie
Undercover investigation leads to arrest of Michigan doctor
The investigation began in June, in conjunction with Homeland Security, and in addition to his conversations about the 5-year-old, investigators also uncovered disturbing messages with other users related to conception and abortion.
"I'm afraid we're just scratching the surface of what's going on out there," Niemczyk said.
WPTV listened to Sarah Marie Henry, executive director of Catch the Wave of Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to combating child exploitation.
Henry said these specific cases involving predators aren’t unusual.
“They're looking to find vulnerabilities in a person, whether it's an adult or a child,” said Henry.
Henry said sextortion and online solicitation cases involving children have spiked since Covid.
“Take that time to know and comb through a child's smart device and set up those parental controls and get educated on this topic,” said Henry.
Asked if there could be other victims, Niemczyk said Murdoch has told them he "has not yet crossed that line," but they don't know of other victims yet.
Murdoch will be extradited to Florida. He is being charged with obscene communication — use of a computer to solicit a parent/guardian to consent to the participation of sexual conduct involving a child.
