A Jersey City police officer accused of traveling to Atlantic City to pay for sex with two little girls pleaded guilty Thursday.
Stephen Wilson 35, drove an hour and 45 minutes with condoms and more than $500 in cash after agreeing to pay $200 to have sexual intercourse with an 8- and 10-year-old, according to the charges against him.
The Bayonne resident met the adults on an incest chat group. But what he didn’t know is that there were no girls, and that the people he had spoken with online were undercover officers.
Wilson was arrested Feb. 26, in a parking area in Atlantic City where he was supposed to meet the adults. He has been in the Atlantic County jail ever since.
Wilson pleaded guilty to an accusation charging him with one count of second-degree attempted aggravated sexual assault. He faces eight years in prison at sentencing, which is set for Oct. 21.
"Predators like Wilson will go to great lengths to sexually exploit children, but law enforcement will go farther to bring them to justice," acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck said. "Let this sentence serve as a warning to anyone who believes they can exploit or prey on innocent children. We will continue to work with our partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute child predators."
Wilson also must register as a Megan's Law offender and will be subject to lifetime parole supervision.
"This guilty plead reflects our commitment to protect children and bring offenders like Wilson to justice," Division of Criminal Justice Director Lyndsay Ruotolo said.
"Child predators like Wilson are not only using more sophisticated technologies, but they are networking with other abusers in order to find their next victim," said Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. "The (NJSP) and our partners will continue to work together to ensure that child predators are those who assist them are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
