NJ undercover cops catch state trooper in underage sex sting

A 31-year-old State Police trooper has been accused of trying to pay for a sex act involving a young female teen.

Shane H. Dempsey, of Brick, was arrested and criminally charged on Monday.

Earlier this year, an undercover detective from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office was monitoring the social media app Whisper, when they were contacted by another user, later identified as Dempsey, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said.

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, according to Santiago.

Dempsey faced the following second-degree charges:

◾ attempted sexual assault

◾ attempted endangering welfare of a child (permitting child to engage in production of child sexual abuse materials)

◾ attempted engaging in prostitution

◾ attempted luring

He was also charged with third-degree attempted endangering the welfare of a child via sexual conduct.

Dempsey has been employed by State Police since 2017. He is suspended without pay, officials said.

He was taken into custody in Ewing before being driven to Monmouth County jail, pending future proceedings in Monmouth County Superior Court.

Monmouth County officials do not usually release photographs of criminal suspects.