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Undercover Newark Cop Touched Himself And Fondled Masseuse During Sting Operatio

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07…

Police in Newark, N.J., will implement a new protocol for sting operations after an undercover vice cop pleasured himself and fondled a masseuse during a prostitution bust at a massage parlor.

After being offered a "full massage" by a 22-year-old woman in a Bloomfield Avenue parlor on Sept. 28, the detective -- who was wearing a wire -- stripped down to his underwear, paid the woman $80 and touched himself while putting his hand on the masseuse's breast, according to police documents obtained by The Star-Ledger.

Law enforcement officials reportedly burst into the massage parlor and arrested two women for promoting prostitution and narcotics charges.

The incident might raise eyebrows, but Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio told the paper that the officer wasn't acting with "bad intentions."

"There is no department protocol in place for what to do in an undercover vice operation. And that's what we're going to change," said DeMaio. "Looking at it, certainly, there's no bad intentions here on (the officer's) part. I just don't think he was prepped properly."

DeMaio placed the six detectives involved in the sting on administrative duty, according to Newsday.

News of the botched raid comes as the Newark Police Department faces heightened scrutiny.

Earlier this year, the Justice Department launched a federal investigation into the police force over years of allegations of misconduct. The investigation comes after the city laid off 162 officers citing budget constraints.