By: Tracie Carter
According to a statement from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, a former New Jersey State Police trooper has admitted to trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a minor in Freehold last summer.
Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday that 32-year-old Shane H. Dempsey pleaded guilty before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn to second-degree attempted sexual assault and third-degree official misconduct.
The case began when a detective from the Prosecutor’s Office, working undercover on the social media app Whisper, was contacted by a user later identified as Dempsey.
Prosecutors said Dempsey requested sexually explicit images and offered money in exchange for a sexual act from someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl.
When Dempsey arrived at the agreed meeting location in his police-issued vehicle, he was taken into custody.
Judge Butehorn has ordered that Dempsey forfeit his public position and be permanently barred from future public employment in New Jersey.
Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, November 21, when prosecutors intend to recommend a seven-year state prison term, including two years without parole eligibility.
The sentence would also require Dempsey to register under Megan’s Law and remain under parole supervision for life.