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Former humor columnist pleads not guilty to child exploitation, solicitation charges

A former Peachtree City man accused of child exploitation and solicitation charges has pled not guilty in court papers.

William “Billy” Allan Murphy, 46, a former freelance columnist for The Citizen newspaper, has pled not guilty to the felony count of sexual exploitation of children and to misdemeanor charges of electronically furnishing obscene material to a minor and computer solicitation of a child.

The felony charge relates to a photograph found on Murphy’s computer that depicts a child involved in intercourse, according to court documents. The two misdemeanor charges relate to two different victims, both girls under the age of 16, as Murphy reportedly furnished obscene material to one of them while soliciting sexual intercourse from the other.

Murphy was arrested in February 2003 after an investigation by the Peachtree City Police Department. He was indicted on the charges in May by a Fayette County grand jury.

— John Munford