JBLM noncommissioned officer sentenced to prison for sexual abuse of a child

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. – An Army staff sergeant pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of a child during his court-martial May 15 at the Cascade Court Complex.

Staff Sgt. Justin P. Murphy, 33, a motor transport operator assigned to D Company, 1st Battalion, 51st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, was sentenced by the military judge to four years in prison, reduction in rank to E-1 and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.

On July 23, 2025, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a report to the Olympia Police Department regarding a child sexual abuse video discovered online, which initiated an investigation.

Officers tracked the source of the video to an IP address linked to Murphy’s home in Yelm, Washington.

When officials discovered that Murphy was a Soldier assigned to JBLM, they transferred the investigation to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.

The video shows Murphy unclothed from the waist down, pleasuring himself in front of a minor family member. As the video goes on, Murphy asks the victim to pose for pictures as he continued to pleasure himself.

“Sexual crimes against children are especially heinous, and the result in this case sends a message to the accused and others seeking to commit such horrific crimes,” said Maj. Ryan Keeter, Sixth Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.

Murphy will serve his confinement at the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility, Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.

This case was investigated by the Olympia Police Department and Army CID’s Western Field Office. It was prosecuted by Capt. Stephen W. Harrell, Sixth Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel and Capt. Brittany M. Taylor, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 7th Infantry Division.

The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is composed of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located worldwide, including locations in Europe and Korea. For more information visit [https://www.army.mil/ostc](https://usg01.safelinks.protection.office365.us/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.army.mil%2Fostc&data=05%7C02%7Cmichelle.m.madej.civ%40army.mil%7C3cb85b1be8d84473ac5f08debd96f4bc%7Cfae6d70f954b481192b60530d6f84c43%7C0%7C0%7C639156653199101002%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1d3eujPUUAMbTYHIDClecqNao6IeTaHN%2F%2Fb5PsrfK5Y%3D&reserved=0).

If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymous tips to Army CID at [www.p3tips.com/armycid](https://usg01.safelinks.protection.office365.us/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.p3tips.com%2Farmycid&data=05%7C02%7Cmichelle.m.madej.civ%40army.mil%7C3cb85b1be8d84473ac5f08debd96f4bc%7Cfae6d70f954b481192b60530d6f84c43%7C0%7C0%7C639156653199111485%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jl5QF6hYNcuVbgCYFzlk8HGOIJWfmlzw%2Bp44O%2FyoVa0%3D&reserved=0).