J.J. Abrams, who directed "Super 8," learned of Murphy's past this week, and the Los Angeles Police Department began an investigation on Thursday into whether Murphy complied with the state requirements for registered sex offenders.
"It's shocking and it's devastating, not just as a filmmaker but as a father and someone who is entrusted to make sure that everyone I work with, especially children, are safe," Abrams told the Times. "To think that someone like this was among us is unthinkable."
In 1996, Murphy was convicted of kidnapping and molesting an 8-year-old boy in suburban Seattle. Murphy pleaded guilty to child molestation and kidnapping, and he spent five years in jail for the offense.
State authorities required that Murphy register as a sex offender when he moved to California in 2005. However, many in Hollywood know him only by his alias, Jason James, while his registration with the state is under the last name Murphy.
According to California law, registered sex offenders whose victims were younger than 16 are forbidden from "working directly and in an unaccompanied setting with minor children on more than an incidental and occasional basis or have supervision or disciplinary power over minor children." California law also requires all registered offenders to report any name changes or aliases within five days.
"Super 8" casting directors April Webster and Alyssa Weisberg said they were unaware of Murphy's crime when they hired him, and Webster told the Times that Murphy was never alone with children in their offices.
Murphy's other film credits include "Bad News Bears," "The School of Rock," "Cheaper by the Dozen 2," and the soon-to-be-released "The Three Stooges." 20th Century Fox, the studio releasing "The Three Stooges," issued a statement that said, "We have only just learned of this information; we take it extremely seriously and have commenced an immediate investigation.... We have as yet no basis to believe any improprieties occurred during his work on the movie."
As a result of the revelation, Paramount, which released "Super 8," said that it will change its employment screening process and begin performing background checks on all freelance employees.
There are no known reports that Murphy acted inappropriately while casting, according to the Times.
