Growing up, my friends and I weren't bad kids, never broke the law (/wink), and truly never started up any slobberknockers. However, we didn't always think too fondly of our local police department as a whole. Then there was Kelly, the female officer who seemed to understand kids, trouble, fear, and fairness all at once.
Officer Kelly carried the badge well; even when we grumbled about cops, we knew the badge meant something. We were taught to respect it, because good officers walk into the danger most of us spend our lives trying to avoid.
The danger is real: in 2025, the FBI reported 53 officers feloniously killed in the line of duty, along with 90,178 assaults against officers. The assault rate reached 13.8 per 100 officers, the highest rate in 10 years.
Good cops earn respect the hard way, one call, one traffic stop, one domestic disturbance, and one bad night at a time.
Respect for the badge, though, can't become a shield for evil. A Clermont County grand jury has indicted Chad Essert, the 44-year-old police chief in Bethel, Ohio, on 70 (!) felony counts.
Clermont County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Tekulve's office listed 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Every count is a third-degree felony, and if convicted on all counts, Essert faces up to 280 years in prison.
The alleged crimes took place between 2005 and 2010, when Essert was an instructor with the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville, Ohio. The victim was his student during that period, and the alleged offenses occurred in multiple locations across Clermont and Hamilton counties. From Tekulve's office:
The offenses occurred between 2005 and 2010 while Essert was an instructor at the Young Marines and while he was teacher at Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville Ohio. The victim was a student of Essert’s during that timeframe and the offenses occurred in multiple locations throughout Clermont and Hamilton County.
The allegations contained in this indictment are independent of, and unrelated to, the facts and circumstances of the earlier investigation reported by local media about Essert.
“It takes tremendous courage for a victim to come forward, especially when the accused wears a badge and holds a position of authority. Today’s indictment demonstrates that no one is above the law. Every victim deserves to be heard, and every allegation will be thoroughly investigated and pursued in accordance with the law.” Sheriff Chris Stratton
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.
“I am thankful for the outstanding support from Prosecutor Tekulve’s Office throughout this investigation. This indictment reflects our shared dedication to public safety and enforcing the law.” Sheriff Chris Stratton
On June 11, 2026, at 7:06pm, Essert was taken into custody without incident by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Investigations Section in Seminole Florida.
Essert was transported to the Pinellas County Jail where he remains incarcerated awaiting extradition back to Clermont County.
Those details are stomach-turning because the accused didn't merely hold a public position later in life; he allegedly stood in roles where young people were supposed to be guided, protected, and taught.
Clermont County Sheriff Christopher Stratton said victims need courage to come forward when the accused wears a badge and holds authority. Tekulve said the investigation shows victims can be protected regardless of the accused person's name or title.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Tactical Investigations Section in Seminole, Fla. took Essert into custody without incident at 7:06 p.m. on Thursday, and he remains jailed while awaiting extradition to Ohio.
Essert had already been placed on paid administrative leave from the Bethel Police Department on May 8. Bethel Mayor Jay Noble's memo said the leave was tied to a formal investigation involving conduct related to department operations. From WCPO News:
Essert was first placed on leave on May 8, according to a memo sent by Mayor Jay Noble. The memo said Essert would be on leave pending an investigation by the Clermont County Sheriff's Office, with Sgt. Don Fourth working as the acting police chief.
The Clermont County Sheriff's Office then released the investigation report into Essert May 15. The report included allegations of misconduct while in uniform.
The department confirmed its investigation was closed after releasing the report. Mike White, chief deputy with the department, said "no criminal act was found at this time."
The most recent comment from Noble, posted on social media May 22, said Essert is using his accrued paid time off as the investigation continues.
At the village's first council meeting since Essert was placed on leave earlier this month, WCPO asked the mayor about the investigation.
Noble defended Essert’s work in the village over the last four years.
“You go back and look at this department four years ago — we got our money’s worth,” Noble said. “He’s a great guy. … I can’t really say anything else because I’m just as shocked as everybody else."
Sgt. Don Fourth has been serving as acting police chief while the village handles its own process.
Essert, of course, deserves the presumption of innocence in court, because the rule of law must protect everyone, even people accused of vile crimes. But moral clarity doesn't need to wait for a verdict. If prosecutors prove these charges, the conduct is evil, abhorrent, and despicable. A police chief who abuses authority doesn't merely injure a victim; he wounds every decent officer who puts on a uniform for the right reason.
Cases of this kind also hand ammunition to anti-police activists who already want Americans to distrust every badge, every squad car, and every officer at a school door. They'll use one man's alleged crimes to stain the entire profession. Good officers should be the first to reject that bargain; defending law enforcement means defending honor, not protecting rot.
The badge deserves respect because courage deserves respect. The public deserves honesty, because authority without accountability becomes dangerous. Victims deserve justice, because a title should never make a predator feel untouchable.
And every Officer Kelly that's out there, every good cop who still carries the badge with decency, deserves a system willing to say the hard thing plainly: when power is used to prey on the vulnerable, the law should come down with all the force it has.
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