FROM CHIEF TO CONVICT: MANVILLE’S TOP COP JAILED FOR DECADE OF SEX CRIMES

A former Manville police chief has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for more than a decade of sexual assaults and abuses of power targeting subordinates.

Thomas Herbst, 57, of Bridgewater, received his sentence on August 11, 2025, in Somerset County Superior Court after a jury earlier this year found him guilty of multiple counts of official misconduct, sexual assault, and criminal sexual contact.

He must serve roughly six years before parole eligibility and will remain under lifetime supervision after release. He is also required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.

Prosecutors said Herbst’s misconduct began in 2008 and included groping, harassment, indecent exposure, and assaults — often while on duty and inside police headquarters. In some cases, he exploited his rank to solicit sexual favors or explicit images from subordinates’ spouses in exchange for promotions or preferred assignments.

Herbst was taken into custody immediately after sentencing.