FREDERICK, Md. — An online sting operation in Maryland resulted in the arrest of a high school football coach and teacher in Fairfax County. The Frederick County Sheriff's Office charged David Clay Murray, 48, on five separate counts of sexual solicitation of a minor.
Fairfax County Public Schools says Murray worked as a coach and educator at Langley High School. He is now suspended, according to a spokesperson.
According to investigators in Frederick County, a detective with the agency's Internet Crimes Against Children Section (ICAC) was performing online investigations posing as a 15-year-old girl.
Deputies say Murray initiated communications with the detective posing as the teen girl through a mobile messaging app on Aug. 1. The detective informed Murray several times that he was speaking with a 15-year-old girl, but police say Murray continued to talk to the detective, engaging in sexual conversation and soliciting numerous sex acts.
The investigation led to detectives obtaining a warrant for five counts of sexual solicitation of a minor.
Deputies then reached out the Fairfax County Police, and Murray was arrested there. He is awaiting extradition back to Maryland.
“This case is a very good example of agency cooperation and information sharing across state lines to take an offender off the street, and the importance of the ICAC mission to protect minors," said Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins.
Jenkins said parents should be vigilant about who their children are talking to online as his office is seeing more of these types of cases.
"I will also take this opportunity to reinforce to parents to pay close attention to what their minor children are involved in on mobile apps, websites, and social media platforms," Jenkins said.
Murray will have a court hearing at 1 p.m. Aug. 15.