Chad Essert, BETHEL, OHIO — An Ohio police chief has been indicted on 70 sexual abuse-related charges tied to alleged offenses that prosecutors say occurred while he was working as a teacher and youth instructor years earlier.
Chad Essert, the police chief of Bethel, Ohio, is facing 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor following a grand jury indictment issued on June 11, according to the Clermont County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Authorities allege the incidents occurred between 2005 and 2010, during the time Essert was employed as a school teacher and also served as an instructor for the Young Marines program. Prosecutors stated that the alleged victim was a student of Essert at the time of the reported offenses, which took place across Hamilton and Clermont counties.
Essert was placed on administrative leave in May after earlier allegations of misconduct surfaced. Local reports indicated that an initial internal investigation found no criminal wrongdoing at that stage; however, officials later clarified that the new charges are separate from the earlier inquiry.
Following the indictment, Clermont County Sheriff Christopher Stratton said the case demonstrates that “no one is above the law,” emphasizing that all allegations involving abuse of authority would be fully investigated and pursued through the justice system.
Essert was later arrested in Pinellas County, Florida, before being extradited back to Ohio to face prosecution. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether he has entered a plea in the case, and court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks.
Bethel village officials have indicated that steps are underway to remove Essert from his position as police chief as the case develops. Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing as the legal process moves forward.
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