Michigan Doctor Arrested in Port St. Lucie Child Solicitation Sting

A Michigan family practice doctor, William J. Murdoch, was arrested following an undercover investigation by the Port St. Lucie Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children unit. Murdoch allegedly communicated online with an undercover detective posing as a mother, expressing explicit intentions to engage in sexual conduct with the fictitious 5-year-old child. Authorities uncovered disturbing messages detailing Murdoch's plans to groom the child, as well as additional dark web-related conversations involving conception, abortions, and intentional harm to unborn children, linked to his medical knowledge. A warrant for his arrest was issued on charges of soliciting a parent to consent to sexual conduct involving a child, and he was apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Michigan before being extradited to Florida. The PSLPD emphasized their ongoing efforts to monitor and combat child exploitation and urged anyone suspecting abuse to report it to authorities. The investigation highlights the critical role of digital forensics and undercover operations in protecting children from predators.