Marina manager paid young employees to send him explicit Snapchat videos, feds say
.png "John Murray pleaded guilty after former employees said he paid them for sexually explicit Snapchats while they were still minors, federal prosecutors said.")
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions.
A former manager at a New Hampshire marina paid minor employees for explicit Snapchat videos and “unwanted sexual contact and sexual acts,” federal prosecutors said.
John Murray, 56, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of child pornography and four counts of sex trafficking a minor after five former employees, all males, came forward and said he paid them for pornography and to perform sex acts on them, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire said in a Dec. 14 news release.
Starting in at least 2015 until 2021, when he was arrested, Murray worked as a manager at West Alton Marina in New Hampshire, hiring and overseeing seasonal employees, most of whom were younger than 18, the news release said.
In August 2021, one of Murray’s employees disclosed that Murray had paid him for pictures and videos of him masturbating and ejaculating, according to court documents. Murray told the teenager to send the videos via Snapchat, court documents show. The employee said he estimates he sent about 15 to 20 videos.
Three other former employees relayed similar experiences, and videos of all four of the employees were found on Murray’s phone, court documents show. Investigators determined that some of the videos had been distributed to others.
A fifth employee, who worked at the marina each summer from 2015 until 2018, told authorities that when he was 15, Murray “fondled his genital and performed oral sex on him.” This took place about 10 more times that summer, and each time Murray paid the employee $100, according to court documents.
The employee told officials Murray continued to pay him to perform oral sex on him in subsequent summers.
Another employee, who was also paid to send Murray videos of himself, also said that Murray paid him for sex acts starting during the summer of 2020 when he was 15, court documents say.
The marina did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment. Murray’s lawyer did not provide a comment.
As a result of his guilty plea, Murray was also required to turn over an iPhone 6, iPhone 12, iPad Pro, Lenovo computer and HP laptop.
Prosecutors said they suggest that Murray be sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentencing is set for March 22, 2023.
The marina is about 100 miles north of Boston.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Marina manager paid young employees to send him explicit Snapchat videos, feds say."
