Middle Township Cop Charged With Witness Tampering

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ — A Middle Township police sergeant faces charges for impeding an investigation after he asked his ex-girlfriend to drop a complaint of on-duty sex, according to court documents.

Sgt. Joshua Bryan, 39, of the Middle Township Police Department, has been charged with two counts of third-degree witness tampering, according to Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland.

On July 2, Bryan’s ex-girlfriend reported the officer for having sexual encounters with her while he was on-duty Jan. 2 and Feb. 1, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

She filed complaints with the Middle Township Police Department and the New Jersey Army National Guard Recruitment Center, the affidavit states.

The woman told investigators that she had been involved in a consensual sexual relationship with Bryan from Sept. 28, 2020 to March 30, according to the affidavit.

After the woman filed the complaints, Bryan went to her home while on duty and in uniform on July 4, and “began banging on the door” until she let him in, the affidavit states.

Bryan questioned why she had filed the complaints, according to the documents. “She stated he told her he was going to get in trouble and possibly lose his job,” the affidavit states.

Bryan then asked the woman to tell him who she spoke with at the police department and what she told them “so he could talk to that person and smooth things over,” the affidavit states.

He also asked, "What can I do to make this go away? What do you want me to do to make this disappear?” the affidavit states.

Prosecutor Sutherland said Bryan was arrested last month and released on a summons. He was suspended without pay from the Middle Township Police Department pending resolution of the charges.

If convicted, Bryan faces a term of three to five years in prison, Sutherland said.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call the Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or submit tips at cmcsheriff.net.

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