Graydon Andrew Knapp-Arrested for Child Pornography
Richard Kennedy Murphy-Arrested for Child Pornography
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s detectives and Port St. Lucie Police Officers specializing in internet-based crimes have made their largest-ever seizure of child pornography, according to Sheriff Ken J. Mascara.
“Detectives on Tuesday served a search warrant at a home at 780 S.W. Dalton Circle, Port St. Lucie,” Sheriff Mascara said. “An online tip gave our detectives leads that resulted in the search warrant and arrest of the home’s two occupants, Richard Kennedy Murphy, 67, and Graydon Andrew Knapp, 61.”
Neither man knew the other had child pornography stashed in the home they shared, the Sheriff said.
The detectives are part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which helps federal, state and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the internet, online communication systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children.
The ICAC program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces including more than 3,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies.
Sheriff Mascara said, “Statistically speaking, most individuals who consume child pornography either are or will become hands-on offenders. This is always a concern for our investigators. Considering the Amount of child pornography seized and the statements of both men using these images for sexual gratification, we in law enforcement know it would only be a matter of time before they attempted to live out their sexual gratification by victimizing a child from our community – if they have not already done so. Part of our investigation will include asking for our public’s knowledge of any interaction with children between these two men and our interviewing those children.
“We in law enforcement fear an individual like this in our community and I’m proud of the work of the ICAC team to identify, arrest him and remove him from society.
Knapp later admitted to possessing digital images of male pornography, which included male child pornography, on his laptop. Knapp admitted to using the internet to obtain pornography for the purpose of sexual gratification,” said Sheriff Mascara.
Knapp stated in his search for images, he came across images indicative of child pornography. He said if the images he came across on the internet piqued his interests, he would download or save them to his computer. Knapp said the youngest children he had viewed engaged in sexual conduct appeared to be 13 years old. Of note, six of the images Knapp possessed were previously identified child victims by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (missingkids.com.)
While searching the home, investigators found a large locked case in Murphy’s bedroom. Inside the case were several thousand printed child pornographic images. Murphy admitted to ownership of the case and to printing the male child pornographic images.
Murphy said the purpose of the images was for sexual gratification. He also possessed numerous professionally manufactured “publications” containing child pornography. Murphy stated he had been collecting the images over a long period of time.
The collection contains over 1,000 printed pages with each page containing between six and 12 pornographic images each. The collection depicts images of juvenile males as young as four and five years old to the upper teens. The printed pages also include computer generated and hand-drawn cartoons depicting the rape and torture of young children.
This hard copy collection of child pornography material is the largest of its kind seized by the Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Based on the statements of both Knapp and Murphy, it appeared neither man knew the other was involved in the collection or distribution of childp. Knapp admitted to a preference of viewing files of males as young as 13, while Murphy collected images of males as young as 4 to 5 years old.
The detectives arrested Knapp on 21 counts of possession of child pornography and 21 counts of distribution of child pornography. The investigators arrested Murphy was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
Both are confined at the St. Lucie County jail. Murphy’s bond is $200,000. Knapp’s bond is $420,000.
More charges are expected for both suspect pending further examination of the seized evidence.
ABOUT THE SHERIFF:
The Florida Constitution establishes the Office of the elected County Sheriff who is responsible for preserving the peace, carrying out the orders of Florida courts and the Board of County Commissioners, and providing deputies at court sessions and meetings of the Board of County Commissioners. The Sheriff is the chief correctional officer of the county. Sheriff Ken J. Mascara is elected by the people of St. Lucie County and is accountable to them.
