Sex Trafficking Suspect Is Retired Middletown Cop, Police Confirm

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A fugitive wanted for the alleged sex trafficking of an underage girl, and who was arrested in Hazlet this week, happens to be a retired Middletown police officer.

James Keenan 47, worked as a patrolman with the Middletown Twp. Police Department for nearly 30 years, Middletown police spokesman Lt. Paul Bailey confirmed to Patch on Friday. His dates of employment were August 15, 1990 until his retirement on August 1, 2016.

It's the same Keenan who was arrested by federal agents in Hazlet on Wednesday of this week: Keenan was wanted in Oregon for the alleged sex trafficking of an underage girl.

The cross-country search for Keenan was done by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. It was FBI agents, and local Oregon police officers, who tracked Keenan to Hazlet this week, and arrested him there, police in Beaverton, Oregon said. It's unknown where in Hazlet he was arrested. Keenan used to live in Hazlet, More Monmouth Musings reported. He is now a resident of Vancouver, Washington. He collects a pension of about $79,000 per year.

Last week, Keenan was indicted by a federal grand jury in Portland following a month-long investigation into child sex trafficking. Following his Wednesday, April 11 arrest, Keenan was charged with sex trafficking of a child, attempted sex trafficking of a child and attempted enticement.

Neither Beaverton police nor the FBI released details on the alleged crime, but said the victim was receiving support services to help her recover.

Keenan will be extradited back to Portland where he will stand trial in federal court.

Editor's Note: Story originally published in the Beaverton, Oregon Patch.

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