Village of Bethel Mayor Jay Noble released the following memo titled “Administrative Charges Against Police Chief Chad Essert and Recommendation for Removal from Office” on June 19, after it was announced that deputies with the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office took custody of Essert at the Pinellas County Jail in Florida at approximately 4:27 a.m. on June 18 and extradited him to Ohio. Essert arrived in Clermont County and was booked into the Clermont County Jail at 7:13 p.m., where he was set to remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
On June 11, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office announced a 70-count indictment of Essert, age 44, of Blanchester, Ohio, who was indicted by a Clermont County Grand Jury for the following charges:
● (56 ) counts of Sexual Battery, all felonies of the 3rd degree
● (14 ) counts of Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all felonies of the 3rd degree
Essert was scheduled to be arraigned in the Clermont County Common Pleas Court on June 22 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Victor Haddad, and local news outlets reported that at that hearing, Essert’s bond was set at $500,000 surety.
“Pursuant to Section 737.171 of the Ohio Revised Code, I submit the following administrative charges against Police Chief Chad Essert and request that Village Council remove Chief Essert from office due to dishonesty, immoral conduct, neglect of duty, and other acts of malfeasance in the performance of his duties as police chief.
Background:
Chief Essert was sworn in as Police Chief of the Village of Bethel on October 27, 2021. As provided in Section 737.18 of the Ohio Revised Code, I have supervised Chief Essert in the administration of his official duties since his appointment.
On May 7, 2026, I was advised that the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office had initiated a criminal investigation into the conduct of Chief Essert related to his alleged misuse of Village property. The following morning, I placed Chief Essert on administrative leave pending the outcome of that investigation.
On May 13, 2026, I was advised that the Sheriff’s Office had concluded its investigation and would not be pursuing criminal charges. On May 15, 2026, the Village Solicitor was provided with redacted copies of the investigation report and supporting records, which revealed that Chief Essert had engaged in behavior that violates the policies of the Village of Bethel and reflects poorly on the Bethel Police Department. Specifically, the report detailed that Chief Essert engaged in an affair with a citizen he had met during an official traffic stop and engaged in sexual conduct with the individual while on duty, including traveling in his department-issued, take-home vehicle to her residence in Montgomery County, Ohio, while in uniform during working hours. The report materials also revealed serious allegations of sexual harassment by Chief Essert towards a female officer. These matters are being independently investigated through the Village Solicitor’s office.
Following the release of the investigation report, additional allegations were made against Chief Essert, including allegations that gave rise to a 70-count felony indictment in Clermont County Common Pleas Court against Chief Essert. Chief Essert was arrested in Pinellas County, Florida, and has been extradited back to Clermont County. He is currently being held at the Clermont County jail. While the allegations contained in the criminal indictment do not specifically give rise to these administrative charges, the pending criminal charges are a further indication of a pattern of immoral conduct, and the pending court action precludes Chief Essert from being able to perform his official duties.
Statement of Charges:
1. Chief Essert engaged in sexual activity while in uniform and on duty. Chief Essert became involved in an extramarital sexual relationship with a citizen he met after he initiated a traffic stop of her vehicle. The citizen claims that she had sexual intercourse with Chief Essert in the Bethel police department the day after the traffic stop, and Chief Essert was in uniform at the time. The citizen further confirmed that Chief Essert came to her house, located in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, to have sex with her. Chief Essert drove to her house during the workday in his department-issued, take-home Village vehicle and was in uniform, with his sidearm holstered on his hip at the time. There are text messages and doorbell camera footage to corroborate the incident.
Chief Essert’s actions constitute a severe violation of public trust. The conduct is immoral, dishonest, and constitutes a neglect of duty. Chief Essert misused Village equipment, property, and resources in carrying out these acts. His actions demonstrate a disregard for his department and his duties, and reflect poorly on the Village.
2. Chief Essert engaged in inappropriate conduct towards a former female officer. The officer contacted the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office during its investigation and reported that Chief Essert attempted to start an inappropriate relationship with her and made several sexual advances towards her while she was employed with the Village. Critically, Chief Essert was aware that the officer had experienced trauma in the past and on several occasions attempted to take advantage of the officer’s vulnerability due to her mental health struggles. The officer described multiple instances in which Chief Essert’s conduct towards her was inappropriate and completely unacceptable.
Chief Essert’s actions, as described, violate the Village’s sexual harassment policy. Furthermore, the fact that he targeted this particular officer with knowledge of her mental health situation demonstrates a gross abuse of power.
Conclusion
All the information contained in these charges is based upon evidence provided to the Village by law enforcement or through other sources generally available to the public. As set forth in the above charges, I believe Chief Essert has engaged in dishonesty, immoral conduct, neglect of duty, and other acts of malfeasance in the performance of his duties as police chief. Accordingly, I submit these charges to Council and recommend that Chief Essert be removed from office at the earliest possible date permitted by law.”
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