A 75-year-old Henderson County man is in custody after deputies say he produced child sexual abuse material involving a 4-year-old. Patrick Murphy was booked into the Henderson County Detention Center following an investigation that authorities describe as still active.
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office reported the arrest, according to FOX Carolina News. Arrest warrants state that the material in question involved a 4-year-old child, the outlet reported. The Henderson County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force opened its investigation into alleged possession and production of child sexual abuse material on October 23, just days before Murphy's arrest became public.
Murphy faces two counts of first-degree exploitation of a minor and two counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor, according to FOX Carolina.
Investigation Still Unfolding
Deputies have not released additional details about what prompted the task force's inquiry or what, if anything, was recovered during the investigation. The case remains ongoing, per the same account, and no further updates on Murphy's court status, bond, or legal representation have been made public.
Henderson County's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force has brought several similar cases over the past year and a half. In June 2025, deputies charged 33-year-old Brandan Charles Hyatt with four counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor after executing a search warrant in the Flat Rock community, according to the Hendersonville Lightning. That search was carried out with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and Hyatt was later released on a $50,000 secured bond set by a magistrate.
A separate Hendersonville case involved 40-year-old Dillon Bear Brezner Paulus, who was arrested on multiple child-exploitation counts after a search of a local residence, as reported by WSPA. Paulus faced three counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor and three counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor, the station reported.
A Statewide Surge in Reports
Murphy's arrest comes amid a dramatic rise in reported online child exploitation across North Carolina. Reports statewide have increased by 1,115% since 2019, according to State Bureau of Investigation data cited by WRAL. The outlet found that North Carolina recorded 12,169 CyberTips in just the first three months of 2026 alone.
The average monthly number of CyberTips statewide jumped from 411 in 2019 to 4,382 in 2025, WRAL reported. Despite that surge, the State Bureau of Investigation has only 18 sworn investigators dedicated to internet crimes against children, supported by five intelligence analysts, the outlet found. Federal funding for internet crimes against children task forces in North Carolina rose from about $450,000 in 2016 to just over $800,000 in 2025 — an increase that watchdogs note has not kept pace with the volume of reports.
Under North Carolina law, a person can be charged with first degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the statute published by the North Carolina General Assembly.
No further details about Murphy's case, including a potential court date or plea, have been released. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
