Bethel police chief indicted on 70 counts

The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office have announced a 70-count indictment of Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert.

Chad Essert, 44, of Blanchester, was indicted June 11 by a Clermont County grand jury for the following charges:

• 56 counts of sexual battery, all felonies of the third degree; and

• 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all felonies of the third degree.

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

The offenses allegedly occurred between 2005 and 2010 while Essert was an instructor at the Young Marines and while he was teacher at Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville. The alleged victim was a student of Essert’s during that time frame, and the offenses allegedly occurred in multiple locations throughout Clermont and Hamilton County.

The Sheriff’s Office encourages anyone who believes they may have been a victim of similar conduct to immediately contact law enforcement. Information provided by victims and witnesses may assist with this ongoing investigation.

On June 11 at 7:06 p.m., Essert was taken into custody without incident by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Investigations Section in Seminole, Fla.

Any additional inquiries about this indictment or investigation should be directed to the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office at (513) 732-7313.

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.