Former North Carolina State University sports medicine director Robert Murphy Jr. was arrested in Florida on Wednesday following a September 14 Wake County grand jury indictment. Murphy faces 32 criminal charges, including nine felonies for alleged sexual contact under the pretext of medical treatment involving student-athletes.
The arrest marks a major escalation in a legal battle that began in August 2022 when a former Wolfpack soccer player filed a federal lawsuit against Robert Murphy Jr.. Law enforcement officials in Marion County, Florida, booked the 54-year-old Ocala resident into custody shortly after 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Indictment Details and Charges Against Robert Murphy Jr.
A Wake County grand jury handed down the sealed indictments on September 14, keeping the charges secret until authorities could locate Murphy. Court documents reveal that Murphy faces nine felony counts of sexual contact or penetration under the pretext of medical treatment, alongside 23 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. Prosecutors specifically allege that in the fall of 2020 treatment sessions—specifically highlighted in the fall of 2020—Murphy willfully committed a felony by indicating that sexual contact with a plaintiff was necessary for health benefits.
In North Carolina, sexual contact under the guise of medical treatment is classified as a Class C felony carrying a potential sentence of up to 182 months and mandatory sex offender registration upon conviction. Misdemeanor sexual battery involves nonconsensual sexual contact intended for sexual arousal, gratification, or abuse. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman confirmed that Murphy agreed to be transferred back to North Carolina without objection. If convicted of a felony charge, Murphy faces a mandatory minimum sentence exceeding three years under state guidelines.
Civil Litigation Timeline and University Response
The criminal indictments follow years of civil litigation initiated by former student-athletes. Benjamin Locke, a soccer player at the university from 2015 to 2017, filed the initial federal lawsuit in August 2022 after previously filing a criminal complaint with campus police. Over time, the civil action expanded to include 31 former male athletes accusing Murphy of sexual harassment and abuse during athletic treatments. A Wake County judge dismissed the civil suit in June for procedural reasons, ruling that claims against state institutions must go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission and that the statute of limitations had expired for claims against Murphy. That dismissal is currently under appeal.
Murphy served as the Wolfpack’s director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer starting in January 2012. He resigned in June 2022 during an internal university investigation after police and administrators received complaints earlier that year. An internal Title IX investigation examining Locke’s claims concluded that Murphy’s conduct during therapeutic massages was unwelcome, pervasive, and of a sexual nature. University leadership addressed the unfolding criminal case following Wednesday’s arrest.
“Sexual misconduct of any kind is unacceptable. The health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to NC State Athletics and the university. We are aware of the charges filed by Wake County against Robert Murphy. We will cooperate with law enforcement in this matter. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment further at this time.”
NC State University, Official Statement via WRAL
Legal Defense and Reactions to the Grand Jury Action
Murphy has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. During earlier civil hearings, his defense attorney, Jared Hammett, contended that the litigation was driven by attorneys seeking a large settlement from the university.
Conversely, Kerry Sutton, the attorney representing the former athletes in the civil proceedings, stated that the criminal indictments validate Ben Locke and 33 other former Wolfpack athletes and bolster their ongoing claims.
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