Bethel police chief facing sex crime charges extradited to Clermont County
By: -----
Bethel, OH - Bethel police chief Chad Essert, who is facing dozens of charges related to sexual misconduct, has been extradited to Clermont County.
Essert was arrested in Florida last Thursday, after he was indicted on 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Investigators said the alleged incidents happened between 2005 and 2010, when Essert was an instructor at the Young Marines and a teacher in Sharonville. Prosecutors said the victim was a student of his and the alleged crimes happened in Clermont and Hamilton counties.
Essert, 44, was taken into custody by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Investigations Section in Seminole, Florida.
On Thursday night, Essert arrived at the Clermont County Jail and was booked at 7:13 p.m. He is scheduled to be in court on Monday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Bethel’s mayor said he is starting the process of removing Essert as police chief amid the allegations. Essert is currently on leave.