FREEHOLD – A former New Jersey State Police trooper who prosecutors say committed a profound breach of public trust has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for attempting to arrange a sexual encounter with a child during an undercover operation last summer, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Friday.
33-year-old Shane H. Dempsey of Brick received the sentence Wednesday from Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Henry P. Butehorn. He must serve at least two years before becoming eligible for parole and will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law. The sentence also subjects him to Parole Supervision for Life, mandates forfeiture of his public position and permanently bars him from public employment in New Jersey.
The case began when an undercover Prosecutor’s Office detective on the social media app Whisper was contacted by a user later identified as Dempsey. Authorities said Dempsey solicited sexually explicit images and discussed paying for a sexual act with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.
Dempsey was arrested after arriving for the arranged meeting in his police-issued vehicle.
He pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2025, to second-degree attempted sexual assault and third-degree official misconduct.
Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Competello of the High Tech Bureau handled the prosecution. Dempsey was represented by Freehold attorney Thomas Huth.
