SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — A former Mantua Township police lieutenant was convicted of official misconduct after officials said he illegally accessed the police database and changed details of a report about him in an attempt to downplay his affair with a married woman.
In 2021, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office said 46-year-old Shaun Butler used his position in the Internal Affairs department to illegally access police records involving an incident while he was off duty.
During an altercation at the woman’s home with her husband, officials said Butler called a police dispatch line rather than 911 and didn’t identify himself as an officer. He then refused to answer questions when officers arrived.
In the days that followed, investigators said Butler logged into the police department’s database and added details to the police report written by another officer.
Butler was found guilty of official misconduct and related computer crimes. Sentencing is scheduled for December.
The maximum penalty for second-degree official misconduct is 10 years in prison.
