Chad Essert remains jailed in Florida while awaiting extradition to Clermont County, Ohio.
BETHEL, OH — Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert was arrested in Florida after a Clermont County grand jury indicted him on 70 felony counts tied to alleged sex crimes involving a former student, officials said.
The indictment places a sitting police chief at the center of a criminal case that reaches back more than 15 years. Prosecutors said Essert, 44, of Blanchester, faces 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. All 70 counts are third-degree felonies. If convicted on every charge, he could face up to 280 years in prison.
The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office announced the indictment after a grand jury acted on June 11, 2026. Officials said the alleged offenses happened from 2005 to 2010, when Essert was an instructor with the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville. The victim was a student of Essert’s during that period, officials said. Clermont County Sheriff Chris Stratton said it takes “tremendous courage” for a victim to come forward, especially when the accused person wears a badge and holds authority.
Authorities said the alleged conduct occurred in several places across Clermont and Hamilton counties. They did not release the victim’s name, age at the time of the alleged offenses or the number of alleged incidents behind the 70 counts. The indictment was described by local reports as a secret indictment before it was released publicly. Prosecutors said the charges are separate from earlier allegations about Essert that had been reported by local media. Officials said the case remains an ongoing investigation, and no trial date had been announced as of Saturday.
Essert was taken into custody without incident at 7:06 p.m. June 11 by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Investigations Section in Seminole, Florida, officials said. He was transported to the Pinellas County Jail and remained there while awaiting extradition to Ohio. Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said the case showed that victims are protected “regardless of the name or title of the perpetrator.” Tekulve said his office and the sheriff’s office worked together during the investigation.
The charges come after Essert had already been placed on administrative leave from his job in Bethel. Local reports said he was put on paid administrative leave May 8 during an earlier investigation into his conduct. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office later said no criminal act was found in that earlier matter and closed that review. Essert remained away from duty while the Village of Bethel continued its own administrative process. Reports also said he later went on Family and Medical Leave Act leave while in Florida.
Records and local reporting show Essert became Bethel’s police chief in the fall of 2021 after serving as police chief in Fayetteville. Local reports also cited earlier employment issues in other departments, including a 2004 firing from North College Hill during a probationary period and a 2010 resignation from Elmwood Place after allegations of sexual harassment and intimidating a witness. Those matters are separate from the new indictment. Essert is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
The next step is the extradition process. Essert may waive extradition, which would allow authorities to return him to Ohio without a longer legal fight in Florida. If he contests extradition, officials would need additional legal action before he could be brought back to Clermont County. A Florida extradition hearing was expected for Tuesday, according to local reporting. Once returned, Essert would face proceedings in Clermont County Common Pleas Court.
In Bethel, a Clermont County village east of Cincinnati, the case has drawn concern because Essert led the local police department. Residents told local reporters they were disappointed and wanted accountability from the people who enforce the law. Dawn Paul, a local business owner, said the community’s trust in police is important and that the allegations made the case harder for people who knew Essert. “You didn’t want to believe it,” Paul said.
As of Saturday, Essert remained in custody in Florida pending extradition. Clermont County officials said the case is active, and the next public milestone is expected to be the Florida extradition hearing on June 16, 2026.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.