OH Police Chief Arrested In FL On 70 Sex Charges Involving A Minor: Sheriff

SEMINOLE, FL — An Ohio police chief was arrested Thursday evening in Seminole on 70 felony counts related to sexual misconduct involving a minor, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Bethel police Chief Chad Essert, 44, of Blanchester, Ohio, was indicted by a Clermont County grand jury on 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. All 70 charges are third-degree felonies.

He was taken into custody by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and booked into Pinellas County Jail, where he remains awaiting extradition to Clermont County.

The offenses allegedly occurred between 2005 and 2010, when Essert was an instructor at the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville, Ohio.

The victim was a student of Essert’s during that period and the offenses occurred in multiple locations in Clermont and Hamilton counties, CCSO said.

“It takes tremendous courage for a victim to come forward, especially when the accused wears a badge and holds a position of authority. [This] 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,” Clermont County Sheriff Chris Stratton said.

If convicted on all charges, Essert faces a maximum penalty of 280 years in prison, the agency said.