A Rosemount mother with four special-needs children and her husband, a convicted sex offender, have been charged with neglect, accused of raising their kids in a fly-infested home so filthy and cluttered that authorities branded it a fire trap.
The children, who authorities said were locked in their rooms with deadbolts when they misbehaved, were briefly put into foster care after officers came to the home in August, according to gross misdemeanor charges of child neglect filed in Dakota County District Court against Ramona L. Murphy, 38, and Steven T. Murphy, 48.
After five days in foster care in August, the two boys and two girls were returned to the home under the mother's care after safety problems in the home were corrected and the father had moved out, according to a child protection order filed in juvenile court. A court official said Thursday the children remain under "protective supervision" of the court.
Police officers and members of the state Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force came to the home Aug. 7 with a search warrant alleging that Steven Murphy, who was convicted in 2004 for third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor and in 2002 for possessing child pornography, was again involved in child pornography, according to the child protection order.
Krissy Revolinski, 26, who has lived next door all her life, said she was "very shocked" by the allegations. The home is on the 3400 block of Lower 147th Street W.
She described the four children, whom she saw occasionally, as "the nicest kids." They also "kind of looked a little dirty," but she thought they had just been playing outside, she said.
She said she heard their mother yelling at them "a lot. A little bit more than an average parent would."
Records: Porn downloaded
The search found that child pornography had been downloaded, and four computers were taken from the home, the protection order document said.
Phil Prokopowicz, chief deputy county attorney, said it was the search that first brought the living conditions in the Murphy home to the attention of county child protection authorities.
Steven Murphy has been on probation since being sentenced in the sexual assault of a girl (not a relative) and is registered as a convicted sex offender. Oversight of probation and child protection cases in Dakota County is handled by the same agency, community services, Prokopowicz said.
The Murphys are both free on their own recognizance. Their attorney, Anthony Ho, said he would not address the charges because he has yet to see the entire investigative record. Telephone messages left Thursday for the Murphys were not returned.
According to the criminal complaint, a Rosemount officer who was part of the search sat briefly with Murphy and the couple's four children in the kitchen and "found it difficult to be in that location with the amount of bugs flying around."
A county social worker was called and determined that the children would be placed in foster care, noting the unsanitary living conditions and Steven Murphy's history as a sex offender, the complaint read.
Flies blanketed ceiling
The complaint also noted that six long flytraps were filled with bugs, and flies blanketed the living room ceiling. Steven Murphy said an unkempt guinea pig cage, or possibly dead mice inside a wall, might have been attracting the flies.
The kitchen sink was filled with dirty dishes, and food scraps were on floors throughout the multilevel house.
The fire marshal responded the same day and noted 19 safety violations. He described the home as a severe case of hoarding and clutter.
The oldest child told authorities that Ramona Murphy would discipline him and the others by locking them in their bedroom until a timer she had set went off.
Two of the children have autism and have difficulty reading, according to the child protection order. One has a learning disability, while another has difficulty speaking, the order said.
Ramona Murphy told court officials that none of the four was receiving specialized services outside of school, nor were they on any medications or wearing needed eyeglasses.
Star Tribune staff writers Pat Pheifer and Brandon Stahl contributed to this report.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
