Brick sentenced to four years for sexually assaulting a woman in Atlantic City

MAYS LANDING, NJ – On Monday, a Brick Township man was sentenced to four years in state prison for the 2021 sexual assault of a woman he met on a dating app, Atlantic County authorities said.

Gary M. Kearns, 56, pleaded guilty on Aug. 26 to second-degree sexual assault and pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim without her consent at an Atlantic City hotel in August 2021 under New Jersey’s early release statute. Kearns must serve at least 85% of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. Upon his release, he will face lifetime supervision and registration under Megan’s Law.

According to prosecutors, Kearns met the victim through Facebook dating, posing as her under a false name. He picked her up and drove her to Atlantic City under the guise of a date. At the hotel, Kearns sexually assaulted her and then abandoned her, leaving her alone more than an hour away from home.

The case was investigated by the Atlantic City Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany deGrandmaison prosecuted the case on behalf of the state.

Authorities emphasized the seriousness of the crime, highlighting Kearns’ fraud and predatory behavior.