Officer in Sex Scandal Facing Lesser Charges

M I N E O L A, N.Y., May 7 -- A Nassau County police officer who wasarrested in January for allegedly forcing a motorist to perform asex act in exchange for her release has been charged with lesseroffenses and has resigned from the department.

Matthew Murphy, 36, has been charged with third-degreebribe-receiving and official misconduct in connection with the Aug.8 incident. A police release said Murphy surrendered to thedepartment's Internal Affairs Unit in Mineola today.

He was scheduled to be arraigned at a later time.

Murphy reportedly agreed to plead guilty to the lesser chargesin exchange for the dropping of charges of first-degree sodomy. Theofficer, who could have faced up to 25 years in prison if convictedof sodomy, could now be sentenced to five years of probation.

Murphy had allegedly pulled a woman over early on Aug. 8 on theHempstead Turnpike in Farmingdale. He allegedly took her to awooded area where he ordered her to remove her clothes and performoral sex on him.

Other Officers Could Face Charges

Murphy, who had been on modified duty until today, haspreviously denied any involvement in the incident.

Murphy was originally charged with two counts of sodomy stemmingfrom two separate incidents. In February, police dropped one of thesodomy charges. Murphy's lawyer, Paul Gianelli, had said the Dec.18, 1999 encounter was consensual and Murphy said he had along-term affair with the woman in that case.

Several officers face administrative charges of mishandling theoriginal complaint, said Deputy Police Inspector Peter A. Matuza.Four top commanders at the Eighth Precinct were reassigned pendingan investigation into whether the allegations in the Augustincident were properly reported to the Nassau County PoliceInternal Affairs Department.