Who Is Robert Murphy Jr.? Former NC State Trainer’s Abuse Charges Explained

Robert M. Murphy Jr. is the former director of sports medicine at North Carolina State University who was arrested in September 2026 after a Wake County grand jury indicted him on 32 criminal charges involving alleged sexual contact with male student-athletes.

Murphy, 54, spent a decade overseeing sports medicine for the NC State Wolfpack. The criminal case follows years of allegations from former athletes who accused Murphy of sexually abusing or harassing them during medical treatments and drug testing. Murphy and his attorneys have denied wrongdoing.

What Is Robert Murphy Jr. Accused Of?

Prosecutors accuse Murphy of having sexual contact with NC State student-athletes while presenting the contact as medically necessary treatment.

Indictments unsealed in September 2026 cover allegations involving 14 people and alleged offenses dating from October 2016 through the fall of 2021. Some alleged victims are connected to multiple criminal counts. [WRAL]

One indictment alleges that during medical treatment in the fall of 2020, Murphy told an athlete that sexual contact was necessary and would benefit the athlete’s health. Prosecutors allege that conduct violated North Carolina’s law prohibiting sexual contact or penetration under the pretext of medical treatment. [WRAL]

The criminal charges are allegations, and Murphy has not been convicted.

What Charges Does Robert Murphy Jr. Face?

A Wake County grand jury indicted Murphy on September 14, 2026, on 32 charges:

• Nine felony counts of sexual contact or penetration under the pretext of medical treatment.
• 23 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.

The charges are distributed among 14 alleged victims. According to the Associated Press, Murphy faces as many as six charges connected to one accuser, including two felony counts, while another accuser is connected to four charges, including two felonies. [AP]

Under North Carolina law, sexual battery involves nonconsensual sexual contact for purposes including sexual arousal, gratification or abuse. The felony charges involve a separate law addressing sexual activity allegedly carried out under the representation that it is necessary for medical treatment. [AP]

How Was Robert Murphy Jr. Arrested?

Murphy was arrested in Ocala, Florida, on the evening of September 23, 2026, after authorities in North Carolina obtained warrants connected to the Wake County indictments.

Ocala police officers arrested Murphy at a residence at approximately 7:50 p.m. after informing him that there was an active North Carolina warrant. The arrest was made without incident. [Fayetteville Observer]

Murphy was booked into the Marion County Jail on out-of-state fugitive warrants. He appeared before Marion County Judge Lori Cotton on September 24 via video from the jail. [Fayetteville Observer]

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said prosecutors were awaiting a decision on whether Murphy would contest extradition to North Carolina. [News & Observer]

What Did Former NC State Athletes Previously Accuse Murphy Of Doing?

The criminal case follows civil allegations made by former NC State male athletes over several years.

The athletes have alleged that Murphy improperly touched their genitals during massages and other treatments. Some said the touching occurred while Murphy was treating areas near their groins, including instances in which they said they did not have an injury that would have required treatment in that area.

Other athletes accused Murphy of inappropriate behavior during drug testing, including intrusive observation while they provided urine samples. [AP]

Murphy’s attorneys have denied those allegations. Attorney Jared Hammett said earlier in 2026 that Murphy had been unfairly characterized as an abuser and disputed the credibility of the civil claims. [News & Observer]

Who Is Benjamin Locke?

Benjamin Locke is a former NC State men’s soccer player whose allegations played a major role in bringing the Murphy case into public view.

Locke filed a federal lawsuit in August 2022 alleging that Murphy sexually abused and harassed athletes and that university officials failed to protect them. Locke has publicly identified himself as an alleged victim, unlike many of the other former athletes who have pursued claims anonymously.

Locke’s allegations included conduct dating to 2015. His complaint eventually became part of a much larger series of legal actions involving former NC State athletes. [AP]

How Many NC State Athletes Have Accused Murphy?

By early 2026, 31 former NC State male athletes had joined a Wake County lawsuit alleging sexual abuse and harassment involving Murphy.

The athletes came from eight different NC State sports programs. The lawsuit alleged a pattern of inappropriate touching during medical treatment and intrusive behavior during drug testing. [CBS Sports]

The 31 civil plaintiffs should not be confused with the 14 alleged victims identified through the newly unsealed criminal indictments. The criminal charges concern a smaller group and specific alleged offenses prosecutors believe can be pursued under North Carolina criminal law. [WRAL]

What Happened With The Civil Lawsuit Against Murphy?

A Wake County Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by the 31 former athletes in June 2026.

The dismissal did not constitute a finding that the abuse allegations were false. The judge cited procedural issues, including statutes of limitations affecting older claims and jurisdictional questions over whether negligence claims against a public university should instead be handled through the North Carolina Industrial Commission. [News & Observer]

Attorneys for the former athletes said they planned to appeal. The athletes also filed a separate action with the North Carolina Industrial Commission. [News & Observer]

The September 2026 criminal indictments are separate from those civil proceedings.

What Did Murphy’s Attorneys Say About The Criminal Charges?

Attorneys Jared Hammett and Seth Blum, who have represented Murphy in the civil litigation, continued to deny wrongdoing after the criminal charges were announced.

In a statement to the Associated Press, they said they were disappointed with the Wake County District Attorney’s decision to prosecute and referenced an earlier NC State campus police investigation that did not result in criminal charges at the time. They characterized the allegations as involving a changing account of what happened. [AP]

Those earlier investigative decisions did not prevent Wake County prosecutors from subsequently presenting evidence to a grand jury, which returned the September 2026 indictments.

What Was Robert Murphy Jr.’s Job At NC State?

Murphy worked at NC State from 2012 until 2022 and served as the university’s director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer.

His position put him in direct contact with Wolfpack athletes receiving treatment for injuries and participating in the university’s drug-testing program. [AP]

Murphy was suspended from his position in January 2022 after a complaint was made against him. He left NC State in June 2022. The university has described his departure as an involuntary separation. [ACC Sports]

What Happened To Robert Murphy Jr.’s Athletic Training License?

Murphy no longer holds a North Carolina athletic training license.

The North Carolina Board of Athletic Trainer Examiners permanently revoked Murphy’s license in 2023, according to reporting by the News & Observer. [News & Observer]

What Did NC State Say About The Criminal Charges?

NC State said after Murphy’s arrest that it was aware of the criminal charges and would cooperate with law enforcement.

The university said that sexual misconduct is unacceptable and that protecting the health and safety of students and student-athletes is a priority. NC State declined further comment because the criminal proceeding remains an active legal matter. [AP]

Were NC State Officials Accused Of Knowing About Murphy?

The civil litigation has also included allegations that NC State officials received warnings about Murphy before he left the university.

Former athletes accused university administrators of negligence and alleged that officials failed to adequately respond to concerns about Murphy. Defendants named in the state litigation included former athletic director Debbie Yow and current athletic director Boo Corrigan. [AP]

A federal appeals court previously revived one former athlete’s lawsuit after concluding that a report by a former men’s soccer coach concerning suspected grooming behavior in 2016 could potentially satisfy the legal requirement that the university had notice of alleged misconduct. The ruling allowed that case to proceed; it did not determine that the underlying allegations were proven. [AP]

What Years Do The Criminal Charges Cover?

The indictments unsealed in September 2026 describe alleged offenses spanning roughly five years, from October 2016 through September 2021.

That period falls within Murphy’s decade working in NC State athletics. Prosecutors filed 32 counts involving 14 alleged victims. [WRAL]

The criminal allegations do not encompass every accusation made against Murphy in the civil litigation. Some civil allegations date further back, including claims from athletes who said misconduct occurred earlier during Murphy’s tenure at NC State.