FREEHOLD, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey police officer has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman while she was unconscious, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Keansburg police officer Nicholas Thompson, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact on Monday, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said in a press release.
Thompson is accused of sexually assaulting a woman inside a private home this past January, while she was "unconscious and incapable of consent" the prosecutor's office said.
Thompson, who became a patrolman in September, was a "Special Law Enforcement Officer" at the time, the release said. He could face up to 20 years in state prison on the aggravated sexual assault charge if he is found guilty, according to the release.
"The news of yesterday's arrest was shocking and disturbing for all of us to hear," Keansburg Police Chief Wayne Davis said in a statement. "The Keansburg Police Department is comprised of professional investigators of the highest caliber, and we refuse to allow the actions of one officer to negate or obscure the good work they do every day."
"We will also continue to cooperate with the prosecutor's office's investigation and prosecution in any way necessary, in order to bring this defendant to justice," Davis added.
Thompson is currently suspended without pay, the release said. His attorney didn't immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday.
