Former N.C. State sports medicine director Robert M. Murphy Jr. is being held in Florida after his arrest Wednesday on charges tied to allegations of sexual abuse from former Wolfpack athletes, and he is expected to be sent back to North Carolina.
Murphy was taken into custody by officers from the Ocala Police Department on Sept. 23.
According to the arrest report obtained by Austin L. Miller of the Ocala Star-Banner, police arrested him at a home in Northeast Ocala around 7:50 p.m.
Officer S. Price said he and a detective told Murphy about an active North Carolina warrant before placing him under arrest without incident.
Murphy appeared for his first hearing on Sept. 24 before Marion County Judge Lori Cotton. He was in the jailhouse courtroom and appeared by Zoom while the judge was at the courthouse.
Cotton ordered him held without bail. Murphy also waived any objection to extradition, clearing the way for his transfer back to North Carolina.
The arrest was first reported by ESPN. A Wake County grand jury indicted Murphy on Sept. 14 on nine felony counts of sexual content under pretext of medical treatment and 23 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office listed all 32 charges.
The allegations have now drawn accusations from more than 30 former N.C. State athletes. According to The Associated Press, the matter began with a federal civil lawsuit filed by a single athlete in 2022 after Murphy’s 10-year run at the university.
The case later moved to state court in 2025 with 14 former N.C. State athletes involved, before that total increased to 31. The AP reported that indictments unsealed Thursday afternoon show the 32 charges are spread across 14 victims and cover allegations from October 2016 to 2021.
N.C. State said Thursday it was aware of the charges.
“Sexual misconduct of any kind is unacceptable,” the university said. “The health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to N.C.
State Athletics and the university. We are aware of the charges filed by Wake County against Robert Murphy.
We will cooperate with law enforcement in this matter.”
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