CLERMONT COUNTY, OH - A 44-year-old police chief from Ohio was arrested in Florida earlier in June after a grand jury out of Clermont County, Ohio, returned a 70-count indictment against the police chief, alleging numerous child sex offenses.
On June 9th, deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44-year-old Chad Essert in Seminole, Florida, in connection to a warrant out of Ohio citing 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Essert is reportedly the chief of the Bethel Police Department in Ohio, a small town with roughly 2,700 residents.
According to authorities, the numerous charges stem from when Essert was an instructor at the “Young Marines” and also from when he was a teacher at Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville, Ohio, with the alleged offenses occurring between 2005 and 2010. The alleged victim in the case was reportedly a student of Essert during the aforementioned period, with purported offenses occurring between multiple locations in Hamilton and Clermont counties.
Clermont County Sheriff Chris Stratton issued a statement on the case following the indictment, saying, “It takes tremendous courage for a victim to come forward, especially when the accused wears a badge and holds a position of authority. Today’s indictment demonstrates that no one is above the law. Every victim deserves to be heard, and every allegation will be thoroughly investigated and pursued in accordance with the law.”
Essert reportedly resigned from a prior position held in Elmwood Place, Ohio, back in 2010 over allegations of sexual harassment and witness intimidation, although officials have clarified the criminal case is not connected to Essert’s past resignation from an unspecified position.
The accused was also recently placed on paid leave this past May from the police department, but an investigation by the local sheriff’s office found no evidence of misconduct. Since May 17, Essert has been on FMLA leave from the Bethel Police Department.
Essert remains in custody at the Pinellas County Jail while he awaits extradition back to Ohio. If convicted on all counts, Essert could face up to 280 years in prison.
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