A member of the United States Air Force who was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was reported missing in Connecticut has pleaded guilty to traveling to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor.
What started as an investigation into a missing teen in Plainfield led to the arrest in May 2016 of 27-year-old Nicholas B. Murphy, of Exeter, Rhode Island, who police said was an active member of the US Air Force.
The then-14-year-old girl was reported missing in September 2015 and police learned within hours that she was with Murphy, according to a news release.
Murphy and the teen started speaking on Facebook and they met while he was on leave, police said.
Federal authorities said Murphy knew the teen was sneaking out of her home without her parents' knowledge to meet him and he picked her up and drove to a secluded area where he and the victim engaged in illicit sexual contact.
Murphy was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of illegal sexual contact.
He was released on $150,000 bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 13.
