FREEHOLD – A former New Jersey State Police trooper has pleaded guilty to attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a child in Freehold, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.
Shane H. Dempsey, 32, of Brick Township, admitted to second-degree attempted sexual assault and third-degree official misconduct during a hearing last week before Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn.
The case began when an undercover prosecutor’s office detective on the social media app Whisper was contacted by Dempsey, who allegedly sought sexually explicit images and offered money for a sex act from someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl. Dempsey was arrested after arriving for a planned meeting in his police-issued vehicle.
Judge Butehorn ordered Dempsey to forfeit his public position and permanently barred him from public employment in New Jersey. Sentencing is set for Nov. 21, when prosecutors will recommend seven years in state prison, including two years without parole, along with sex offender registration under Megan’s Law and lifetime parole supervision.
