Former IN Commissioner Found Guilty of Sexual Assaulting His Daughter on Her 21st Birthday | Crime Alert 5PM 04.29.25

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm Nicole Parton. In Indiana, the former Hancock County Commissioner
John Jessop has been sentenced to prison following his conviction
for attempting to sexually assault his biological daughter, Rachel Kessling
during a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate her twenty
first birthday. On April twenty five, twenty twenty five, a

(00:20):
Nevada court handed down a sentence of six to fifteen years.
The case has sent shock waves through Indiana and sparked
national outrage. As reported by The New York Post, the
fifty six year old Jessup took his daughter to Las
Vegas in January for her milestone birthday. Prosecutors indicated that

(00:40):
he provided her with several alcoholic drinks, including potent Long
Island iced teas. Once Kesling became heavily intoxicated, Jessup assaulted
her in their hotel room at the Treasure Island Hotel
and Casino. During the sentencing, Kessling courageously spoke out, delivering
a victim in impact statement that conveyed the deep emotional

(01:02):
toil the assault has taken on her life. With tears
coming out of her eyes, she said, quote, since my
biological father sexually assaulted me on January twenty sixth, last year.
My life feels like it's shattered. Kessling has since changed
her last name to distance herself from her father, and
is undergoing intensive therapy to help her deal with PTSD,

(01:26):
depression and anxiety. Jessup, for his part, claimed to police
that quote nothing criminal occurred, describing the night as merely
aft up drunk night. The former Republican County Commissioner of
Indiana has faced significant fallout from the case, having resigned
from his position on the Hancock County City Council prior

(01:47):
to the sentencing. Despite the serious allegations against him, he
had managed to secure election to the council before stepping
down amid public scrutiny. Deputy District Attorney Morgan Thompson criticized
Jessop's actions in court, emphasizing quote, fathers are supposed to
protect their children. They're not supposed to violate them when

(02:08):
they are vulnerable. The incident came to light when Rachel
Kessling reported the assault to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Surveillance footage from hotel bars and medical evidence backed up
her account, leading prosecutors to argue that Jessop had taken
advantage of his daughter's inebriated. State Judge TIERA. Jones issued

(02:29):
the maximum sentence possible under the Plea Agreement, requiring Jessop
to serve at least six years before being eligible for parole.
In addition, he is mandated to register as a sex
offender and is prohibited from future contact with his daughter
or other family members. The community response has been one
of anger and disbelief. Residents of Hancock County, where Jessup

(02:52):
once held significant political power, expressed their outrage not only
at the crime itself, but also at jessis attempt to
maintain his political ambitions despite the serious allegations. Now twenty
two years old, Kessling is focused on rebuilding her life.
In her statement to the court, she said, quote, I

(03:12):
hope no other child ever experiences what I have. Speaking
out was the hardest thing I've ever done, but silence
would have killed me or crime in justice news after this.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed
twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes,
that was the medical examiner's official ruling. After a closed
door meeting, he first named it a homicide. Why what
Happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage of justice?

(03:51):
For an in depth look at the facts, see what
Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
After weeks of searching, authorities located a missing teenage girl
from a Michigan facility she was living with a sixty
two year old man. As reported by police in various
news sources, the sixteen year old was discovered in an
apartment in Dearborn Heights, as detailed by the police chief
during a press briefing that was aired by WXYZ. Let's

(04:31):
listen in.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
She provided her a cell phone to use, but he
only allowed her to use it when he was present.
One of the things that we did find at the
home was a wish list that was written out by her,
and some of the stuff that was written by her
was that she wanted to move out of state, she
wanted to buy a car. She was free to roam

(04:53):
the house. You know, there's times where they went out
in public, got in a car together.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
The identity of the man has not been released. The
girl's aunt, Tricia Wade, expressed her relief, saying I can
finally breathe. I had started to fear the worst since
it had been such a long time. The missing girl
was found on April twenty third, thanks to multiple tips
received by police. The chief explained that she had been
living with a man who had promised her financial assistance.

(05:21):
Authorities conducted a sexual assault kit, though the results have
yet to be reported. Following her discovery, the girl was
placed under the care of Children's Protective Services. She had
left Vista Maria, a facility designed for at risk youth
in Dearborn Heights, on March fourteen. This is reported by WDIV.

(05:42):
The police chief confirmed that she would not return to
Vista Maria on April twenty nine. McClatchy News reached out
to Vista Maria for comment, but received no immediate response.
People are wondering how is this girl allowed to leave
the facility. The man with whom the girl was found
has been arrested, but has not been charged as yet.

(06:02):
According to police, they have been living together since March seventeen,
just three days after she left from Vista Maria. In
the early days of the investigation into her disappearance, police
interviewed the sixty two year old man while canvassing the area.
The police chief indicated that he does not believe the
girl was cohersed into staying with the man, describing her

(06:24):
instead as a quote child in need. The two met
while she was wandering the streets before she was in
the facility. According to police reports, the man provided the
girl with a phone, but restricted her use of it
to when he was present, and she did not reach
out to authorities during that time, as stated by the
police chief. At one point, the girl was also seen

(06:45):
with two other men, one in their mid thirties whose
identity has not been released. The chief noted, we are
grateful that the girl has been found safe and alive.
She is now in good hands, which brings immense relief
to everyone involved. Born Heights is about twenty miles west
of Detroit. The chief said the investigation is still ongoing.

(07:05):
For the latest crime injustice news, follow Crime Alert hourly
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I'm Nico Parton