A New Jersey cop sent sexually explicit texts to an 18-year-old woman hours after he arrested her, prosecutors say
Damien Broschart is facing multiple charges, including cyber harassment, and might lose his job if convicted, according to New Jersey prosecutors.
A New Jersey police officer is facing charges after sending explicit texts to an 18-year-old woman he had arrested, according to prosecutors.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday that Damien Broschart, 29, is being charged with cyber harassment. Broschart is an officer with the Neptune City Police Department who has been suspended from his role without pay.
The police department launched an investigation into Broschart's conduct after the woman revealed he texted her hours after her arrest. The woman was arrested earlier this month. Upon her process and release, Broschart drove her back to her car and turned off his body cam equipment, according to the prosecutor's office. He then asked the woman for her phone number.
Broschart sent the woman text messages calling her "cute" and saying he'd like to pay her back, prosecutors say. After the first round of messages, Broschart's texts became sexually explicit, with the New Jersey officer offering to meet with the woman at her home after his shift.
The woman blocked his number, but Broschart began to repeatedly call her from his office at the police department.
"This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and has no place within the Neptune City Police Department, and the entire law enforcement community," said Neptune City Police Chief Matthew Quagliato in a statement. "Although Broschart's actions were completely unacceptable, this incident does not reflect on the great work done on a daily basis by the remaining officers of the Neptune City Police Department."
Prosecutors are also charging him with hindering apprehension of oneself, a law that prohibits people from interfering with someone's apprehension or prosecution.
If Broschart is convicted on this charge, he could face up to five years of prison time, prosecutors say. A cyber harassment conviction could land him a year and a half in jail.
In a statement to local news outlet NJ.com, Broschart's attorney said Broschart denies all allegations.
"I will evaluate the information gathered by the state when it is provided and formulate his defense accordingly," defense attorney Richard Incremona said.
If convicted, Broschart could lose his job, the prosecutor's office said.
"Although there is a presumption of non-incarceration for first time offenders with no criminal records in New Jersey, an emphasis has been placed on seeking resolutions on such cases that ensures that police officers who engage in criminal conduct forfeit their public positions," a statement from the prosecutor's office reads.
