Two arrests in case of mother trafficking her 14-year old daughter for sex

King County – Detectives from the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Missing and Exploited Children’s Task Force (MECTF) and the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) have wrapped up a troubling sex abuse case tonight with the arrest of a final suspect by authorities in Oklahoma. 

Late last month WSP detectives arrested a 46-year old Carnation woman on allegations that she’d offered her 14-year old daughter to a truck driver for sex. The case came to light after the girl bravely went to police and reported the abuse. Detectives interviewed the mother and obtained enough information to arrest her for Promoting Commercial Sexual Abuse of a Minor. 

The girl and a sibling were removed from the family home and placed into protective custody by Child Protective Services. 

With the mother in custody and the victim safely in state care, detectives focused on the remaining suspect: the truck driver who had abused the  teenager in his semi-truck while parked along I-90. 

Detectives identified the driver as Bryan T. Murphy, 38, of Miami, OK, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. With the assistance of Oklahoma’s Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Miami OK Police Department, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, and the US Marshal Service, Murphy was taken into custody without incident. Murphy is currently booked in the Ottawa County Jail awaiting extradition back to Washington State. 

According to a probable cause statement, Murphy was in a relationship with the mother and agreed to have sex with the girl in exchange for assisting the mom with rent money. Murphy and the woman met online and were communicating through text messages, according to the probable cause statement.

“This is a brave young lady,” said Capt. Roger Wilbur of the Patrol’s Investigative Assistance Division. “We hope every young person who is the victim of sexual abuse will follow her example. Our detectives work to get children to safety, and hold their abusers accountable.”