By: Richard L. Smith
A New Jersey State Police Trooper has been criminally charged with attempting to arrange a sexual encounter and obtain sexually explicit images from a child, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced Tuesday.
Trooper Shane H. Dempsey, 31, of Brick Township (Ocean County), faces multiple charges, including second-degree Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Minor via Permitting the Child to Engage in the Production of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), second-degree Attempted Engaging in Prostitution, second-degree Attempted Luring, second-degree Attempted Sexual Assault, and third-degree Attempted Endangering the Welfare of a Minor via Sexual Conduct.
The investigation began earlier this year when Dempsey contacted a Prosecutor’s Office Detective working undercover on the social media app Whisper.
Believing he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl, Dempsey allegedly solicited sexually explicit images and expressed a desire to pay for a sex act.
Dempsey was taken into custody without incident yesterday in Ewing (Mercer County) and transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged the assistance of the New Jersey State Police Office of Professional Standards, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and Brick Township Police Department in the investigation and arrest.
Anyone with additional information about Dempsey’s activities is urged to contact MCPO Detective Anthony Lacher at 800-533-7443.