By Jim Tuttle
The Public Opinion
NEW YORK — A grand jury has indicted a Chambersburg man on charges that he sexually abused a teenage boy in Staten Island, N.Y.
Robert William Murray, 40, appeared Wednesday for an arraignment and was formally informed of the indictment, according to Peter Spencer, a spokesperson with the Richmond County, N.Y. District Attorney’s Office.
Murray’s lawyer, New York private attorney Nick Wooldridge, said Thursday that his client has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Known for years of service as a firefighter in Franklin County, Murray was arrested in New York on Feb. 3. He remains free on his own recognizance.He was originally charged with use of a child in a sexual performance and committing a criminal sexual act in the third degree, both felony offenses. He was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.
An additional felony charge, promoting a sexual performance by a child under 17, was added Wednesday, according to Richmond County criminal court records.
In New York, a grand jury determines whether enough evidence exists before felony charges can move forward in the court system. Spencer said the panel of 22 citizens meet in a closed hearing to consider the prosecution’s evidence.
An indictment is not a measure of guilt or innocence. The grand jury does not have to decide unanimously to indict someone. While a defendant is given an opportunity to testify, the lawyers do not cross examine witnesses.
Murray’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 27. Wooldridge said a conference will take place “to see if we can reach some type of agreement.”
“We’ll take the case to trial or do whatever is necessary to do what it best for Mr. Murray,” he said. “Something like this is completely outside his character. He’s an upstanding citizen.”
According to Public Opinion’s archives, Murray was honored for 23 years of service during the 2009 Chambersburg Fire Department’s Appreciation Dinner. At that time he told a reporter that he enrolled in the Friendship Fire Company No. 1 Junior program when he was 14.
Murray left his volunteer service with the department in 2009. He told a reporter that he had been hired as a paid firefighter with Letterkenny Fire Department.
He has also served for the last several years as a volunteer with Franklin Fire Company. He was suspended indefinitely when the company’s officers learned of the criminal charges.
New York City Police allege in a criminal complaint that Murray forced a 15-year-old boy to participate in a sexual act Jan. 13. The complaint states that the incident happened about 6:30 p.m. inside a vehicle on Sheldon Avenue in Staten Island.
He is also accused of asking the teen to send him a picture of his genitals, the complaint states. According to police, the boy complied and sent Murray the picture using a cell phone.
Spencer said the most serious charge leveled against Murray is use of a child in a sexual performance, which is ranked in New York as a class “C” felony. If convicted, he faces a minimum of one to three and a maximum of three to 15 years in prison.
The nature of his alleged crimes would also result in mandatory sex offender registration upon conviction, Spencer said. In New York, sex offenders are required to register for 20 years or for their lifetimes, depending on the nature of the offense.
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