SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Scottsdale man appeared in court Wednesday in Nebraska after he was indicted for allegedly transporting a minor to Arizona to engage in sexual activity.
Nicholas Murphy, 43, is accused of transporting an underage girl from Omaha to Tucson in October 2021, according to an indictment filed in federal court last month.
The Scottsdale Unified School District confirmed to 12News in an email that Murphy was a "volunteer freshman football coach" at Desert Mountain High School.
The following notification was sent to parents concerning Murphy:
Dear Desert Mountain Families,
Earlier this evening we learned that one of our volunteer freshman football coaches has been indicted in the state of Nebraska. We want you to know that this person cleared a background check and had level one fingerprint clearance prior to being permitted to volunteer with our program. Upon learning of these out-of-state legal proceedings, he will no longer be volunteering with our program or anywhere in our district.
Should you believe that anyone in our district is behaving in an inappropriate manner with a student, we urge you to report it immediately. The safety and security of our students is our top priority.
According to WOWT News, a judge released Murphy to the supervision of his parents in Arizona and ordered him to not have contact with minors while the case is adjudicated.
The FBI said agents are in the process of looking for individuals who may have been victimized by the defendant. Before living in Scottsdale, the defendant was the co-owner of the Dance Authority studio in Sarpy County, Nebraska.
The FBI is looking for potential victims who attended the dance studio from 2011 to the present.
Murphy was a punter at ASU.
More info on the FBI case can be found here.
UP TO SPEED
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.