WCPO 9's Sam Harasimowicz covers Clermont County If you have a story that you'd like Sam to look into or a news tip, email him at Sam@WCPO.com.
CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio — In 2021, Chad Essert was hired as the Village of Bethel's police chief.
"Do you think something went wrong in his hiring process in Bethel?" I asked Jeff Witte, former Woodlawn police chief.
"I think there were serious flaws in whatever background check that they employed when they hired him as chief in Bethel," Witte said.
Essert now faces 70 combined counts of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The incidents alleged occurred from 2005 to 2010, and the prosecutor's office said the alleged victim was Essert's student while he was an instructor with the Young Marines and a teacher at Scarlet Oaks.
The Clermont County Prosecutor's Office indicted Essert on June 11. Essert was taken into custody in Pinellas County, Florida, and he was then extradited to Clermont County.
Watch to see a former police chief discuss the ongoing situation with Bethel's police chief:
He was arraigned on Monday, and released from jail after posting bond on Tuesday.
"Chad was in a position of authority as an instructor, as a teacher. He clearly abused that position," Witte said.
Witte has been familiar with the chief's history for years, since the WCPO 9 I-Team spoke with him about Essert's history during a 2023 investigation.
The investigation unveiled that Essert was terminated or forced to resign from three of his previous six police jobs before becoming Bethel's chief.
The I-Team reviewed Essert's personnel records, finding allegations of dishonesty, disobeying orders and even sexual harassment during his time at different police departments.
Three years later, Witte said he believes the village never should have hired Essert as police chief.
"I think hiring this person as chief was inappropriate," Witte said.
Before his indictment, Essert was placed on administrative leave by Bethel Mayor Jay Noble.
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."
On June 22, Mayor Noble sent me the administrative charges filed on June 19. I responded, requesting an interview to discuss Essert and his hiring. Noble declined an interview and directed me to the village's council meeting on June 11.
The meeting took place just hours before Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve announced the indictment against Essert.
"I will have to defend the hiring of Chad Essert," Noble said during the June 11 meeting.
Noble and members of the council, along with other village leaders, were discussing hiring a new police officer when the topic of how officers and other staff are hired came up. That's when Noble addressed hiring Essert in 2021.
“The decision that I made was based on the feedback I got from everyone to pick him. And then he did come back in and he did sit in front of all of council and interviewed with all of council and I made the recommendation and council approved it unanimously, everybody said yes," Noble said.
I asked Witte how he thinks the village should go about the search for its next chief of police.
"They need to be very, very transparent with their residents, with what the village is doing in that process. And I think they should probably consider including residents in that selection process," Witte said.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 Clermont County reporter Sam Harasimowicz? Email him at Sam@WCPO.com.
