TRENTON, NJ — The former chief of the Manville Police Department was sentenced Monday to seven years in state prison for sexually assaulting subordinates and abusing his official position over more than a decade, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced.
Thomas Herbst, 57, of Bridgewater, was convicted in February following a three-week jury trial on multiple charges, including second-degree sexual assault, a pattern of official misconduct, several counts of official misconduct, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact. Herbst’s sentence, imposed by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter J. Tober in Somerset County, requires him to serve at least 85% of the time related to the sexual assault charge and a mandatory five-year minimum for the misconduct offenses before becoming eligible for parole.
The court also ordered that Herbst be placed under parole supervision for life and register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law. He was taken into custody immediately following sentencing.
Evidence presented at trial revealed that Herbst’s abuse began in 2008 and spanned over 13 years. He sexually harassed, groped, and exposed himself to a police department employee, eventually escalating to sexual assault. Many of the assaults occurred while both were on duty and inside police headquarters.
In other misconduct findings, Herbst was convicted of soliciting sexual favors from the wife of a subordinate in exchange for job promotions and favorable assignments in 2016 and 2017. He also demanded sexually explicit images of another officer’s wife in return for scheduling changes.
The investigation was conducted by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Key Points
- Former Manville Police Chief Thomas Herbst sentenced to 7 years in prison for sexual assault and official misconduct
- Herbst was convicted of abusing multiple subordinates, including on-duty assaults at police headquarters
- He must serve most of the sentence, register as a sex offender, and remain under lifetime parole supervision
