Pontoon Beach Man Detained On 12 Counts Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

PONTOON BEACH – A Pontoon Beach resident accused of using electronic technology to create and distribute child pornography faces 12 felony counts.

Robert D. Murphy, 37, of Pontoon Beach, was charged on Feb. 17, 2026 with 12 counts of child sexual abuse material, each Class X felonies.

Murphy allegedly used a computer application to produce multiple pornographic images depicting a now-14-year-old child and disseminated the photographs online via the Telegram application on Jan. 13, 2026. One of the images reportedly depicted the same victim while under the age of 13. Murphy is also accused of sharing various other images and videos of child pornography via the Discord application on Dec. 8, 2025.

A petition to deny Murphy’s pretrial release from custody was filed by the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office in this case. According to the petition, the Madison County Sheriff's Office opened an investigation after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Chat messages reportedly showed Murphy “discussing trading child sexual abuse material,” according to the petition, which notes multiple files he allegedly shared via Discord. After executing a search warrant at his Pontoon Beach home on Feb. 12, 2026, authorities seized his electronic devices, which reportedly contained files consistent with the NCMEC CyberTip. He later reportedly made a series of disturbing admissions during a police interview.

“The defendant was interviewed and made admissions that he had approximately 100 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his phone, that he used Telegram and Discord for trading CSAM, that he had images of children from infants to teens, [and] that he views CSAM so he doesn't have to act on urges to commit hands-on sex offenses,” the petition states. “The Defendant also admitted to using a computer application to remove clothing from multiple photographs of a known victim with which he has access to.”

The state’s petition was ultimately upheld, with a Detention Order filed in this case stating Murphy’s “access to electronic technology cannot be mitigated” – and even if it could, it states Murphy would still pose a threat to public safety.

“The defendant identified in a police interview that he viewed, created, and disseminated child sex abuse material for his sexual satisfaction and that prevents him from acting out sex acts with minors,” the Detention Order states. “Preventing his access to electronic technology rightly forces the court to consider the danger to a person, persons, or the community if that condition were imposed.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office presented the case against Murphy, who currently remains in custody in the Madison County Jail.

All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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