Village of Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert walked into the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. His attorney Jay Clark patted him on the back as the two approached the judge.
Essert has been the village’s police chief since September 2021. On June 22, he was in Judge Victor M. Haddad’s courtroom in the Clermont County Common Pleas Court for his arraignment after his recent Florida arrest. Essert pleaded not guilty.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Lara Baron Allen suggested a $1 million bond for Essert, requesting he also has no contact with the victim or minors, surrender his passport, not leave the state of Ohio, possess no firearms, and take venereal disease and HIV testing.
If convicted, the potential consequences of a lengthy sentence and a spot on the sexual offender registry create a significant inventive to flee, Allen said.
Haddam announced a $500,000 bond along with Allen’s requested stipulations.
A grand jury indicted Essert June 11 on 70 counts, including sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The victim was a student of Essert’s when he taught at the Young Marines and Scarlet Oaks Career Campus in Sharonville between 2005 and 2010, prosecutors said.
After the arraignment, Clark said the victim’s allegations are baseless because Essert didn’t groom her and he did not have unlawful sexual relations with her.
In May, Essert was accused of sexually harassing a subordinate who was struggling with her mental health in a police report for an unrelated criminal investigation. Essert went on paid administrative leave May 8, records show. He took medical leave May 17 and is being paid with accrued time off.
In light of these charges, Bethel Mayor Jay Noble II has asked the Village Council to remove Essert from his position, a process that started after Essert’s indictment. Noble has brought administrative charges against him regarding engaging in sexual activity with a citizen while in uniform and on duty and making sexual advances towards a female officer while she was employed with the village.
Essert’s rocky past
Records show concerns about Essert’s conduct spans across at least three different agencies and a charge related to a domestic dispute.
About 10 years before he ran the Bethel Police Department, Essert briefly worked as a police officer at the Elmwood Place Police Department, where he was also accused of sexual harassment.
Essert was fired from North College Hill Police Department after lying to employers about his military status and the legal justification for a drug investigation.
In April 2020, Essert was accused of striking someone with his truck during an argument. The victim was trying to speak at Essert’s driver’s side door when he turned his wheel into her path. The victim’s identity is redacted, but Warren County Court records list her as Essert’s family or household member. Essert ultimately pleaded guilty misdemeanor disorderly conduct in October 2020.
What’s next for the police chief?
Essert’s next court date is a pre-trial hearing July 7 at 10 a.m. in Clermont County Common Pleas Court.
The Village of Bethel’s council will hold its next meeting on Thursday, July 9.
Enquirer reporter Quinlan Bentley contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: $500K bond set for chief facing 70 counts of sexual misconduct
Reporting by Gillian Stawiszynski and Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Gillian Stawiszynski and Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
