Convicted Sex Offender Hired As LA Casting Director For Kids Movies
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A convicted child molester has reportedly been casting big budget movies in Hollywood.
KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports Jason James has placed young actors in films like "School of Rock" and "Cheaper By The Dozen 2".
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James, 35, whose real name is Jason James Murphy, served five years in prison for kidnapping and molesting an 8-year-old boy in the Seattle area in 1996, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
Police have begun looking into whether Murphy was in compliance with state registration requirements.
His past conviction could put him in violation of California labor law, which prohibits a child sex offender from working unsupervised with minors.
He could also be in trouble for using an alias when he started his career in casting.
"He had registered as a sex offender as required, but when he began to apply for work in Los Angeles, he dropped his last name," said L.A. Times reporter Dawn Chmielewski.
"Super 8" director J.J. Abrams said his production company was not aware of Murphy's criminal record when Murphy was hired.
20th Century Fox recently hired Murphy for its upcoming film "The Three Stooges".
There are no known complaints that Murphy acted inappropriately with any minor in his casting business since his conviction 15 years ago.
