‘Deeply disturbed’: Mayor seeks to remove police chief indicted on 70 sex abuse charges tied to his time as teacher

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio. (WXIX/Gray News) - An Ohio police chief was indicted on 70 sexual abuse counts stemming from alleged child sex abuse that happened between 2005 and 2010, according to authorities.

Chad Essert is facing 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor after a June 11 indictment.

Essert is accused of having inappropriate contact with a student at locations across Ohio.

At the time, he was an instructor for the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks. Essert was placed on paid administrative leave May 8 amid investigations into his conduct.

Essert began working as Bethel’s police chief in fall 2021 after resigning in good standing as Fayetteville’s chief, according to his officer history page with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

State records show Essert has been a police officer in Ohio since February 2003 and has worked for multiple police departments, including in North College Hill, Elmwood Place and Lincoln Heights.

He also served as a special deputy for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office but was fired in September 2015 for failing to meet agency standards.

He was fired from the North College Hill Police Department in September 2004 for “unsatisfactory performance” during his probationary period, according to local and state records.

In Elmwood Place, he resigned in July 2010 to avoid termination after being accused of sexual harassment and intimidating a witness.

He was convicted of disorderly conduct in Warren County in October 2020 after originally being charged with domestic violence and pleading not guilty, court records show.

Bethel Mayor JayDee Noble II plans to begin the process to remove the village police chief after Essert was arrested.

Noble said in a statement he was “deeply disturbed” to learn of Essert’s arrest.

Noble said Ohio law outlines the removal process. If a mayor believes a police chief engaged in unacceptable behavior, the mayor must file written charges with the village council. Noble said he intends to file charges as soon as legally possible.

The village council will then hold a hearing at a regular meeting after the charges are served. Council members could vote at the end of the hearing on whether to remove Essert.

“This has been a very difficult time for our village,” Noble wrote. “It has caused a great deal of distress for our village employees, especially the other members of our police department.”

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office took Essert into custody without incident Thursday evening.

If convicted on all counts, Essert could face up to 280 years in prison.