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MAYS LANDING, NJ — A Brick Township man was sentenced to four years in state prison Monday for sexually assaulting a woman he met on a dating app in 2021, Atlantic County officials said.

Gary M. Kearns, 56, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault on Aug. 26 and admitted to assaulting the victim without her consent in August 2021 at an Atlantic City hotel. Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Kearns must serve at least 85 years in prison. The percentage of his sentence before he becomes eligible for parole. Upon release, he faces lifetime parole supervision and registration under Megan’s Law.

According to prosecutors, Kearns met the victim through Facebook Dating and used a fake name to court her. He picked her up and took her to Atlantic City under the guise of going on a date. Once at the hotel, Kearns sexually assaulted the victim and then abandoned her, leaving her stranded more than an hour away from her home.

The case was investigated by the Atlantic City Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and the Atlantic County District Attorney’s Office’s Special Victims Unit. Deputy Prosecutor Tiffany deGrandmaison handled the case on behalf of the State.

Authorities emphasized the seriousness of the crime by highlighting Kearns’ deceptive and predatory behavior.