1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: I'm Nicole Parton. In Indiana, the former Hancock County Commissioner 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: John Jessop has been sentenced to prison following his conviction 3 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: for attempting to sexually assault his biological daughter, Rachel Kessling 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: during a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate her twenty 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: first birthday. On April twenty five, twenty twenty five, a 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: Nevada court handed down a sentence of six to fifteen years. 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: The case has sent shock waves through Indiana and sparked 8 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: national outrage. As reported by The New York Post, the 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: fifty six year old Jessup took his daughter to Las 10 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: Vegas in January for her milestone birthday. Prosecutors indicated that 11 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: he provided her with several alcoholic drinks, including potent Long 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: Island iced teas. Once Kesling became heavily intoxicated, Jessup assaulted 13 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: her in their hotel room at the Treasure Island Hotel 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: and Casino. During the sentencing, Kessling courageously spoke out, delivering 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: a victim in impact statement that conveyed the deep emotional 16 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 1: toil the assault has taken on her life. With tears 17 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: coming out of her eyes, she said, quote, since my 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: biological father sexually assaulted me on January twenty sixth, last year. 19 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: My life feels like it's shattered. Kessling has since changed 20 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: her last name to distance herself from her father, and 21 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: is undergoing intensive therapy to help her deal with PTSD, 22 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: depression and anxiety. Jessup, for his part, claimed to police 23 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,479 Speaker 1: that quote nothing criminal occurred, describing the night as merely 24 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: aft up drunk night. The former Republican County Commissioner of 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: Indiana has faced significant fallout from the case, having resigned 26 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: from his position on the Hancock County City Council prior 27 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: to the sentencing. Despite the serious allegations against him, he 28 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: had managed to secure election to the council before stepping 29 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: down amid public scrutiny. Deputy District Attorney Morgan Thompson criticized 30 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: Jessop's actions in court, emphasizing quote, fathers are supposed to 31 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: protect their children. They're not supposed to violate them when 32 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: they are vulnerable. The incident came to light when Rachel 33 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: Kessling reported the assault to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. 34 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: Surveillance footage from hotel bars and medical evidence backed up 35 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: her account, leading prosecutors to argue that Jessop had taken 36 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: advantage of his daughter's inebriated. State Judge TIERA. Jones issued 37 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: the maximum sentence possible under the Plea Agreement, requiring Jessop 38 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: to serve at least six years before being eligible for parole. 39 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: In addition, he is mandated to register as a sex 40 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 1: offender and is prohibited from future contact with his daughter 41 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 1: or other family members. The community response has been one 42 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: of anger and disbelief. Residents of Hancock County, where Jessup 43 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: once held significant political power, expressed their outrage not only 44 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: at the crime itself, but also at jessis attempt to 45 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:06,799 Speaker 1: maintain his political ambitions despite the serious allegations. Now twenty 46 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 1: two years old, Kessling is focused on rebuilding her life. 47 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: In her statement to the court, she said, quote, I 48 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: hope no other child ever experiences what I have. Speaking 49 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: out was the hardest thing I've ever done, but silence 50 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,919 Speaker 1: would have killed me or crime in justice news after this. 51 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed 52 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes, 53 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 2: that was the medical examiner's official ruling. After a closed 54 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: door meeting, he first named it a homicide. Why what 55 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: Happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage of justice? 56 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: For an in depth look at the facts, see what 57 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 2: Happened to Ellen on Amazon. All proceeds to the National 58 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 2: Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 59 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: After weeks of searching, authorities located a missing teenage girl 60 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: from a Michigan facility she was living with a sixty 61 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: two year old man. As reported by police in various 62 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:23,280 Speaker 1: news sources, the sixteen year old was discovered in an 63 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: apartment in Dearborn Heights, as detailed by the police chief 64 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: during a press briefing that was aired by WXYZ. Let's 65 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: listen in. 66 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 3: She provided her a cell phone to use, but he 67 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 3: only allowed her to use it when he was present. 68 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 3: One of the things that we did find at the 69 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 3: home was a wish list that was written out by her, 70 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 3: and some of the stuff that was written by her 71 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 3: was that she wanted to move out of state, she 72 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 3: wanted to buy a car. She was free to roam 73 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 3: the house. You know, there's times where they went out 74 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,000 Speaker 3: in public, got in a car together. 75 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,120 Speaker 1: The identity of the man has not been released. The 76 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: girl's aunt, Tricia Wade, expressed her relief, saying I can 77 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: finally breathe. I had started to fear the worst since 78 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: it had been such a long time. The missing girl 79 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: was found on April twenty third, thanks to multiple tips 80 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: received by police. The chief explained that she had been 81 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: living with a man who had promised her financial assistance. 82 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: Authorities conducted a sexual assault kit, though the results have 83 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: yet to be reported. Following her discovery, the girl was 84 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: placed under the care of Children's Protective Services. She had 85 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 1: left Vista Maria, a facility designed for at risk youth 86 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: in Dearborn Heights, on March fourteen. This is reported by WDIV. 87 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,159 Speaker 1: The police chief confirmed that she would not return to 88 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: Vista Maria on April twenty nine. McClatchy News reached out 89 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: to Vista Maria for comment, but received no immediate response. 90 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: People are wondering how is this girl allowed to leave 91 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: the facility. The man with whom the girl was found 92 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: has been arrested, but has not been charged as yet. 93 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: According to police, they have been living together since March seventeen, 94 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: just three days after she left from Vista Maria. In 95 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 1: the early days of the investigation into her disappearance, police 96 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,679 Speaker 1: interviewed the sixty two year old man while canvassing the area. 97 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: The police chief indicated that he does not believe the 98 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: girl was cohersed into staying with the man, describing her 99 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: instead as a quote child in need. The two met 100 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: while she was wandering the streets before she was in 101 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: the facility. According to police reports, the man provided the 102 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: girl with a phone, but restricted her use of it 103 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: to when he was present, and she did not reach 104 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 1: out to authorities during that time, as stated by the 105 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: police chief. At one point, the girl was also seen 106 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,240 Speaker 1: with two other men, one in their mid thirties whose 107 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,800 Speaker 1: identity has not been released. The chief noted, we are 108 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: grateful that the girl has been found safe and alive. 109 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: She is now in good hands, which brings immense relief 110 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: to everyone involved. Born Heights is about twenty miles west 111 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: of Detroit. The chief said the investigation is still ongoing. 112 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: For the latest crime injustice news, follow Crime Alert hourly 113 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert. 114 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm Nico Parton