NJ State Police trooper gets prison for trying to meet 14-year-old

🚨 A State Police trooper is sentenced to seven years after trying to meet who he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex in Freehold.
👮‍♂️ Shane Dempsey arrived in a police-issued vehicle and was arrested in an undercover sting.
⚖️ He must register as a sex offender, forfeit his pension, and is banned from public employment.

FREEHOLD — A State Police trooper who admitted trying to arrange a chance to sexually assault a child in Freehold has been sent to prison.

Shane Dempsey, of Brick, was sentenced to seven years and must serve two before being eligible for parole.

The 33-year-old will have to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be under parole supervision for life.

Dempsey was also ordered to forfeit his public position and was barred from future public employment for life.

NJ state trooper showed up in work vehicle to meet ‘young teen’

Earlier in 2024, an undercover detective from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was monitoring the social media app Whisper.

They were contacted by a user, later identified as Dempsey.

The trooper, believing the detective to be a 14-year-old girl, tried to solicit sexually explicit images and also offered to pay money in exchange for a sex act.

Dempsey arrived in his police-issued vehicle and was taken into custody.

Demsey fired as trooper, banned from public employment

In Monmouth County Superior Court in August, Dempsey pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted sexual assault and third-degree official misconduct.

This week, Judge Henry Butehorn delivered his sentence and ordered that Dempsey be fired, forfeit his pension and be permanently banned from public employment in New Jersey.

He would also be required to register as a sex offender and be under parole supervision for life.

After seven years as a trooper, Dempsey was initially suspended without pay after his arrest in 2024.

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