A disgraced former New Jersey police chief was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting multiple women while on the job.
Thomas Herbst, 57, was taken into custody following the sentencing hearing in Somerset County, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced in a press release. He must serve at least 85% of the sentence before he’s eligible for parole.
“Anyone who would abuse their office for sexual gratification and to commit sexual assault will be prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison, as this case shows,” said Drew Skinner of the attorney general’s office.
Herbst was convicted in February of sexually assaulting three women during his time as police chief of Manville, with the harassment dating back to at least 2008.
The case first became public in 2022 when a civilian employee sued Herbst in civil court. She accused him of masturbating in front of her and groping her before he eventually escalated to sexually assaulting her at least 10 times on the job and at her home.
Additionally, Herbst was convicted of demanding a subordinate officer’s wife perform oral sex on him for favorable treatment of her husband at work. He also demanded explicit photos of another officer’s wife in exchange for a schedule change.
Prosecutors sought a 31-year sentence, while defense attorneys requested Herbst’s release on bail, according to the Central New Jersey Home News Tribune. Herbst must also register as a sex offender upon his release.
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