A disgraced Indiana politician was thrown behind bars Thursday for getting his daughter plastered on Lengthy Island iced teas on her twenty first birthday – then sexually assaulting her when she handed out.
“What occurs in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” John Jessup, 50, advised his daughter Rachel Keesling throughout the birthday journey to Sin Metropolis in January final yr, the Las Vegas Overview-Journal reported.
Jessup was slapped with a six-to-15 yr jail time period for the disturbing assault, throughout which he served because the commissioner of Hanock County, Indiana. He was initially charged with sexual assault however pleaded all the way down to tried sexual assault as a part of a cope with prosecutors.
Keesling delivered an emotional assertion earlier than his sentencing in courtroom – saying that she publicly recognized herself after her father was elected to the council regardless of the twisted allegations.
“Since my organic father sexually assaulted me on Jan. 26 final yr, my life feels prefer it’s shattered,” Keesling advised the courtroom.
Keesling, who was adopted by her stepfather and adjusted her final title from Jessup to Keesling the day earlier than the listening to, stated she is glad the ordeal is behind her.
“I’m processing lots proper now in all features,” Keesling stated after the choice.
She described her dad’s actions as “sickening.”
The birthday journey to Harrah’s Las Vegas was alleged to be a fun-loving jaunt it shortly changed into a nightmare, in response to prosecutors and courtroom data.
Jessup and his daughter began playing and consuming on the ground of the on line casino. Regardless of feeling unwell, he urged his daughter to “sustain” with him, in response to prosecutors. He plied her with three Lengthy Island iced teas. She wished to cease, however he pushed on.
“What occurs in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” he advised his daughter earlier than taking her to a strip membership. Whereas he slinked off to a personal room whereas she stayed on the bar.
When he was achieved, his daughter was so drunk she wanted to be taken again to the resort room in a wheelchair, data present.
She took a bathe with all her garments on, and sooner or later fell asleep. She awoke to seek out her father sexually assaulting her. He solely stopped when she began shifting.
As a part of the phrases of the plea cope with prosecutors from the Clark County District Legal professional’s Workplace, Jessup should serve a minimal of six years behind bars and might by no means have contact along with his daughter or the remainder of his household for the remainder of his life.
He additionally should register as a intercourse offender.
“I’m not the identical man I used to be,” Jessup stated in courtroom.
For the reason that assault and her father’s betrayal, Keesling has needed to attend remedy and psychiatrists have identified her with a bunch of psychological diseases together with post-traumatic stress dysfunction. She suffers from panic assaults and needed to be examined for sexually transmitted illnesses.
Jessup, who was serving because the county commissioner on the time of the assault, ran for a seat within the Hancock metropolis council whereas these accusations have been swirling round him. The allegations about what he had achieved to his daughter didn’t cease the voters of Hancock from electing the perv into a brand new workplace.
He has since formally resigned.
“Fathers are supposed to guard their youngsters. They’re not alleged to violate them when they’re weak,” stated Deputy District Legal professional Morgan Thomas.
