PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Clermont County grand jury has indicted Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert on 70 felony charges, including sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Prosecutors say the charges stem from offenses that occurred between 2005 and 2010 when Essert was an instructor with the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville, Ohio. The victim was a student of Essert’s at the time, and authorities say the alleged acts happened in multiple locations in Clermont and Hamilton counties.
The indictment includes 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies. If convicted on all counts, Essert could face up to 280 years in prison.
44-year-old Essert was arrested without incident in Seminole, Florida, by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and remains in custody awaiting extradition to Clermont County. Authorities are asking anyone who may have been a victim to contact law enforcement.
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