Overview
- Prosecutors say a grand jury returned a 70-count indictment charging Chad Essert with 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor tied to his work as a teacher and Young Marines instructor.
- Essert was taken into custody in Seminole, Florida, and is being held there pending extradition to Ohio for the criminal case.
- Mayor JayDee Noble II has filed written charges with the village council to begin statutory removal proceedings that could strip Essert of his police chief post.
- A Clermont County sheriff’s investigation earlier found no criminal act and Essert was placed on paid administrative leave while local officials pursued separate reviews.
- Prosecutors are preparing the case and seeking additional victims; if convicted on all counts, Essert faces a maximum sentence of about 280 years, and advocates note delayed reporting by survivors is common.