Former Kansas City area church musician, piano teacher charged with child sex crimes
A former Kansas City area church band member and piano teacher has been accused of child sex crimes after allegedly having boys strip for him and then touching them inappropriately.
The Jackson County Prosecutor charged 50-year-old Montiero C. Murray of Kansas City with three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, three counts of sexual misconduct with a child, and one count each of second-degree child molestation and first-degree harassment.
The offenses allegedly occurred between 2014 and 2024, according to court documents.
Murray, who was arrested July 3, is being held in Jackson County on a $250,000 cash-only bond. A bond review hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
According to court documents, Murray allegedly used his position within his church to gain the trust of his victims and their families from 2008 through 2024. He was eventually confronted by church leadership and removed from his position. The names of the two churches the families attended were redacted from court documents.
According to a probable cause statement filed by the Kansas City Police Department, officers responded on Dec. 24, 2024, regarding a past child sex crime. The victim told officers he wanted to come forward after learning there were other victims.
During their investigation, police identified six victims, according to court documents.
The victims outlined how Murray asked them to come over to his house. While there, he would ask them to strip naked before being weighed. Some of the victims reported that Murray allegedly touched them sexually. Meanwhile, others said that Murray allegedly inappropriately hugged and touched them over their clothes, according to court documents.
In one instance, Murray used the explanation of having the victim strip as a physical symbolism of what it was like to be unprotected in the world, according to court documents. Murray allegedly asked victims about their sexual experiences and development.
Police requested a warrant for Murray’s arrest “due to his history of enticement, grooming, molestation, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct of adolescent males.”
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 1:03 PM.
