On Wednesday New York State Police Investigators arrested 39-year-old Andrew T. Murtha, of Depew for third-degree criminal sexual act – a Class E felony, and first-degree disseminating indecent material to a minor – a Class D felony.
The charges are the result of an investigation, which revealed Murtha exchanged messages and pictures with a 16-year-old boy on a social media app and met with him for sexual conduct.
A search warrant was executed today in Cheektowaga by State Police Investigators from Canandaigua, Clarence, and Buffalo, where Murtha’s vehicle and cellular phone were seized and searched.
The case began when Troopers from the Canandaigua barracks were dispatched to the town of Phelps after parents discovered the boy left his home to meet Murtha.
Investigators learned that Andrew Murtha was in the Rochester area that weekend for a travel volleyball tournament and had reached out to the minor on a social media.
They say that Murtha is the volleyball coach for Maryvale High School, in Cheektowaga and a travel boys team in Lockport.
He was arrested in Cheektowaga and transported to the Canandaigua barracks for processing. He was arraigned in the Town of Phelps Court and remanded to Ontario County Jail in lieu of $2,000 bail.
