KIRKLAND—On Monday, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) charged 32-year-old John Robert Doty, a now-former science teacher at Archbishop Murphy High School with multiple felonies. Doty was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on February 20 for the alleged “sexual exploitation of a child.”
Filing charges on the 24th, the KCPAO requested that Doty’s bail be set at $250,000. A Superior Court judge granted this motion and Doty currently remains in custody at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
The former Everett Catholic high school teacher has been charged with “first-degree dealing in depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct” and “first-degree possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” Per sentencing guidelines, convictions on both charges could add up to a maximum 20 year prison sentence. Doty has no known criminal history.
As reported by KING-5, “Investigators found multiple files downloaded to his computer containing photos and videos of children depicted in sexual acts. Most of the victims depicted were between 4 and 7 years old, with some depicting young teens and the youngest victim shown was believed to be 1 year old or younger.”
King County court documents show that Doty’s arrest came after months of police investigation. The investigators – “specially-trained forensic detectives who monitor internet traffic and seek to disrupt the exploitation of children”, per The Journal 425 – tracked IP addresses on digital material that Doty had allegedly been distributing on online platforms. This led to the search of his Kirkland apartment and following arrest on Monday morning.
Doty didn’t deny accusations against him under police questioning, but instead attempted to convince detectives that his motive was unrelated. Per court documents, “[Doty] said that he doesn’t find the content with kids sexually arousing… but he finds it exciting to know that he is doing something illegal.”
Court documents also quote Doty referring to his alleged criminal activity, which prosecutors say occurred in the summer of 2024, as a “crime game”, and denying any personal interest in the illegal images and videos he allegedly distributed.
This week, Archbishop Murphy High School’s administration released a public statement regarding its former employee.
“The King County Sheriff’s Department notified us on Thursday [Feb. 20] that Mr. John Doty was arrested. He was immediately placed on administrative leave and then subsequently terminated,” the statement reads. “Based on the information we have been provided by law enforcement, the arrest is for misconduct unrelated to his employment at Archbishop Murphy.”
Doty’s arraignment in King County Superior Court will take place on March 10.
Author: Kayvon Bumpus
