Prosecutor: Area Man Gets 40 Years for 2023 Attempted Sexual Assault, Robbery

An area man has been sentenced to 40 years in state prison in connection with a 2023 attempted sexual assault and robbery, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.

Anthony Burke, 48, of Freehold Borough, was sentenced on Monday before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Paul X. Escandon, J.S.C.. The sentence is subject to the provisions of New Jersey’s No Early Release Act (NERA), which mandates that 85 percent be served prior to the possibility of parole.

Burke was found guilty in February of first-degree Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, first-degree Armed Robbery, second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and second-degree Unlawful Possession of a Weapon.

Due to the fact that Burke was found by the jury to be a repeat violent offender based on prior violent convictions, he faced a mandatory term of 20 years to life in prison.

The case background …

On Aug. 14, 2023, at approximately 9:48 p.m., Manalapan police responded to Thompson Grove Park on a report of an armed robbery. An investigation revealed the perpetrator forced his way into the 19-year-old victim’s car, robbing and attempting to sexually assault her at gunpoint.

After her phone, keys, and cash were taken from her, the victim managed to free herself and flee to a nearby residence for help. An investigation involving witness statements, a composite sketch of the perpetrator, law enforcement surveillance, cellular telephone analysis, digital forensic analysis, and vehicle location analysis, ultimately worked to identify Burke as the assailant.

The investigation was led by the Manalapan Township Police Department, along with members of the MCPO’s Major Crimes, Special Victims and High Tech Bureaus, with critical investigative collaboration from the Freehold Township Police Department, the Freehold Borough Police Department, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police Forensic Imaging Unit.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Caitlin J. Sidley of the Major Crimes Bureau.

Burke was represented by Michael A. Policastro, Esq., of Milltown.