Ohio police chief arrested in Florida after grand jury hands down 70-count child sex indictment

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. An Ohio police chief is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars after being slapped with a 70-count indictment for alleged sex crimes involving a child. Bethel Police Chief Chad Essert, 44, was taken into custody without incident Tuesday night in Seminole, Florida, by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. A Clermont County grand jury indicted the Blanchester, Ohio, resident on 56 counts of sexual battery and 14 counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor — all third-degree felonies. TEXAS SHERIFF ARRESTED BY HIS OWN DEPUTIES, NOW FACES NEW CHARGE FOR LYING TO GRAND JURY Bethel Police Chief Chad R. Essert was arrested in Florida following an indictment for child sex crimes. (Clermont County Sheriff’s Office) If convicted of all charges, Esse