OAN Staff Abril Elfi
5:45 PM – Friday, April 25, 2025
A judge has ordered a six-to-15-year prison term for a former Indiana county commissioner accused of sexually assaulting his own daughter during a trip to Las Vegas.
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On Thursday, District Judge Joe Hardy noted that in addition to the prison sentence, John Jessup, 50, will now be required to register as a sex offender.
Jessup was sentenced to 6-15 years in prison for the shocking assault, which he carried out while serving as the Hancock County, Indiana, commissioner. He was initially charged with sexual assault, but later pleaded down to attempted sexual assault — as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Rachel Keesling, the victim, has now been adopted by her stepfather while additionally changing her last name from Jessup to Keesling, her stepfather’s last name. She did so the day before the hearing.
During the hearing, she gave a statement before John’s sentencing in court.
“Since my biological father sexually assaulted me on Jan. 26 last year, my life feels like it’s shattered,” Rachel Keesling told the court.
Keesling continued, expressing that she is glad the whole ordeal is behind her, but she also described her biological dad’s actions as “sickening.”
“I’m processing a lot right now in all aspects,” Keesling said after the ruling.
According to prosecutors and court records, the 21st birthday vacation to Harrah’s Las Vegas was meant to be joyful and fun, but it rapidly turned into a nightmare for her. Jessup and Rachel first began gambling and drinking on the casino floor. As she started to feel overly intoxicated, the father encouraged his daughter to “keep up” with him, according to prosecutors. He then bought her three Long Island iced teas.
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” he told his daughter, before the two left to go to a strip club. The father ended up going into a private room at the club while she stayed at the bar.
Records stated that after Jessup left the room, Keesling was so drunk that her father had to take her back to their hotel room in a wheelchair. She then took a shower with her clothes on and eventually fell asleep in bed. However, some time after, she awoke to discover that her father was sexually assaulting her. He only stopped when she began to move.
As part of the terms of his plea agreement with Clark County District Attorney’s Office prosecutors, Jessup must serve a minimum of six years in prison and he will never be able to see his daughter or the rest of his family again. He also must register as a sex offender.
“I’m not the same man I was,” Jessup argued in court.
Since the assault and her father’s disturbing betrayal, Keesling has had countless therapy sessions, and psychiatrists have diagnosed her with a variety of mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also now suffers from ongoing panic attacks.
Jessup, the previous county commissioner at the time of the assault, sought a seat on the Hancock city council while these allegations were swirling around him. Despite claims about what he had done to his daughter, Hancock voters still elected him. Nonetheless, he has since formally resigned.
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