A former deacon at Burlington Seventh-day Adventist Church was sentenced to 25 years in state prison Friday after pleading guilty to first-degree aggravated sexual assault of a girl under 13. Shawn R. Tracey, 45, of Mount Holly, agreed to the 25-year term as part of a plea deal with the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, and he must serve the entire sentence before he becomes eligible for parole, officials said.
Tracey pleaded guilty earlier this year to a single count of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, according to nj.com. The outlet reported that the victim was under the age of 13 at the time of the abuse. As part of his sentencing, Tracey will have to register as a sex offender, and he will be subject to parole supervision for life if he is ever released from prison, as detailed by NBC Philadelphia.
Superior Court Judge Aimee Belgard ordered Tracey placed on the New Jersey sex offender registry and subjected to that lifetime parole supervision once released, according to the Courier-Post. That outcome follows a state law requiring judges to impose a special sentence of parole supervision for life on anyone convicted of aggravated sexual assault, according to the New Jersey Legislature.
A Trusted Position at a Burlington City Church
Tracey served as a deacon at Burlington Seventh-day Adventist Church in Burlington City, a role he held at the time investigators say the abuse was occurring, per the same nj.com report, which first identified him in that position back in June 2025. State authorities were notified of potential sexual abuse by Tracey against the victim in the summer of 2025, triggering a formal investigation.
The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office announced charges against Tracey on June 3, 2025, after authorities were notified of the abuse, NBC Philadelphia reported. The Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Mount Holly Township Police Department.
Conflicting Accounts of How Long the Abuse Lasted
Reports have varied on exactly how long the abuse continued. The initial nj.com report from June 2025 described it as occurring over a period of nearly two years, while the outlet's more recent coverage said detectives alleged Tracey assaulted the girl multiple times over a two-year period. NBC Philadelphia, meanwhile, reported that the assaults occurred over more than two years at multiple locations in Burlington County.
Tracey initially faced a far more extensive set of charges before the plea agreement. According to NBC Philadelphia, he was charged with 10 counts of aggravated sexual assault, 13 counts of debauching the morals of a child, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of showing obscene material to a minor. Those charges were ultimately resolved through his guilty plea to the single first-degree aggravated sexual assault count.
Sentencing Terms and What Comes Next
Under the terms of his plea agreement with the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, Tracey will serve the full 25-year sentence without the possibility of early parole, officials said. Once he is eventually released, the lifetime parole supervision and sex offender registration requirements will remain in effect. The Courier-Post, which first reported on the sentencing, noted that additional details about the case were withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
