Former Indiana Commissioner Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Daughter During Vegas Trip – One America News Network
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-13.png" alt="Clark County District Attorney's Office" class="wp-image-658005" srcset="https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-13.png 800w, https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-13-400x267.png 400w, https://www.oann.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/FOR-WEBSITE-ARTICLES-13-768x513.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image courtesy of: Clark County District Attorney’s Office</figcaption></figure>
<p>By OAN Staff, <a href="https://www.oann.com/tag/abril-elfi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Abril Elfi</a><br/>5:45 PM – Friday, April 25, 2025</p>
<p>A judge has sentenced a former Indiana county official to a prison term of six to fifteen years for the sexual assault of his own daughter during a trip to Las Vegas.</p>
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<p>On Thursday, District Judge Joe Hardy emphasized that alongside the prison term, John Jessup, aged 50, must register as a sex offender.</p>
<p>Jessup received a sentence of 6 to 15 years in prison for his shocking actions, which took place while he was serving as a commissioner in Hancock County, Indiana. Initially charged with sexual assault, he ultimately pled to attempted sexual assault as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.</p>
<p>The victim, Rachel Keesling, has been adopted by her stepfather and has changed her last name from Jessup to Keesling, her stepfather's surname, just a day before the court hearing.</p>
<p>During the proceedings, Rachel delivered a statement prior to Jessup's sentencing.</p>
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<p>“Since my biological father sexually assaulted me on January 26 of last year, my life has felt completely devastated,” Rachel Keesling stated in court.</p>
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<p>Keesling expressed relief that the ordeal is behind her, describing her father’s actions as “revolting.”</p>
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<p>“I’m coping with a lot right now in every way,” Keesling remarked after the verdict.</p>
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<p>According to court documents and prosecutors, the vacation celebrating her 21<sup>st</sup> birthday at Harrah’s Las Vegas was intended to be fun but turned into a traumatic experience. Rachel began gambling and drinking with her father, who urged her to “keep up” as she became increasingly intoxicated, purchasing her three Long Island iced teas.</p>
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<p>“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” he allegedly told her, before they proceeded to a strip club, where he entered a private room while she stayed behind at the bar.</p>
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<p>Documents revealed that after leaving the room, Keesling was so impaired that Jessup had to wheel her back to their hotel. She took a shower with her clothes on and later fell asleep. She awoke to find her father assaulting her, only stopping when she began to move.</p>
<p>As part of his plea deal with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, Jessup faces a mandatory minimum of six years in prison and is prohibited from seeing his daughter or the rest of his family. He is also required to register as a sex offender.</p>
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<p>“I’m not the same person I once was,” Jessup claimed in court.</p>
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<p>Since the traumatic incident and her father's betrayal, Keesling has undergone numerous therapy sessions and has been diagnosed with various mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), leading to ongoing panic attacks.</p>
<p>Jessup, who was a county commissioner at the time of the assault, attempted to run for a seat on the Hancock city council while the allegations were public. Despite the serious nature of the claims, he was still elected by Hancock voters but has since resigned.</p>
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