By: Tracie Carter
A former New Jersey State Police trooper has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for attempting to arrange an explicit encounter with a minor in Freehold, according to information released by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
Shane H. Dempsey, 33, was sentenced on Wednesday by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn. Under the sentence, Dempsey must serve a minimum of two years before becoming eligible for parole.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be placed on Parole Supervision for Life.
In addition, the court ordered Dempsey to forfeit his public position and permanently barred him from holding any future public employment in New Jersey.
The investigation began last summer when a detective from the Prosecutor’s Office, working in an undercover capacity on the social media app Whisper, was contacted by a user later identified as Dempsey.
Authorities said Dempsey attempted to solicit explicit images and offered money in exchange for an explicit act from someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
Dempsey later arrived at a prearranged meeting location in a police-issued vehicle, where he was taken into custody.
He ultimately pleaded guilty on August 4, 2025, to second-degree attempted explicit contact and third-degree official misconduct.