Updated 2:24 p.m. June 25
HANCOCK COUNTY — Details have been released about a drunken night in Las Vegas, where Hancock County Commissioner John Jessup has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman he went to Nevada with.
In the report, Jessup, 49, Shirley, is quoted as saying, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” and from an interview conducted by the Shirley Police Department (SPD) several months after the alleged incident he admitted to sexually assaulting the woman.
The report states that Jessup told local officials there was “nothing criminal about this,” and that it was a “f***ed-up, drunk night” before Jessup admitted to touching the woman’s private parts, the report said.
Jessup is currently being held in the Shelby County Jail awaiting extradition to Las Vegas where he faces a felony sexual assault charge. Jessup is a current Hancock County Commissioner serving Vernon, Green and Brown townships. However, he won a primary in May to become a member of the Hancock County Council in 2025. He is still on the ballot for the November election. (The Daily Reporter learned late Tuesday evening Jessup was on his way to Las Vegas to face the charge against him).
Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) described the assault in a 15-page police report after speaking to the victim, Jessup (via the SPD) and witnesses before filing their report and the sexual assault charge on June 8.
Officials with the LVMPD said Jessup and the woman went to Las Vegas on or about January 25, the night they believe the assault occurred.
According to the report, the assault took place at Harrah’s Las Vegas, 3400 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada. The initial police report noted a detective with the LVMPD Sex Crime Unit was assigned the case on Feb. 7 after the victim filed a police report either on our about Jan. 27.
Officials noted that the victim, whose name is redacted in the report, spoke with the detective and told him what happened. The report states the victim said that after landing at approximately 4 p.m., she and Jessup went to Harrah’s Hotel where there were staying in a two-bedroom room.
According to the report, the victim told officials she and Jessup went to the casino and then to the “Flamingo” and “Link” followed by a trip to a gentleman’s club, where Jessup is accused of “feeding” the victim Long Island iced teas. The victim told officials in the report that Jessup eventually went to a private room with a girl at the strip club while she stayed at the bar and that she tried to drink water but ended up going to the restroom, where she got sick.
The victim told officials that she and Jessup then got a taxi back to the hotel, where she needed a wheelchair to get back to the room but didn’t recall much due to her intoxication, the report said. Once back in the room, the victim stated that she got into the shower with her clothes on to let the water run over her. The report stated that, upon waking, she was naked in bed with Jessup, who was also naked and sexually assaulting her.
According to the report, after the assault, Jessup quickly got out of the bed, got dressed and went downstairs to smoke, and she texted him and that she wanted to leave, but he told her she couldn’t because the flight couldn’t be changed. The victim said that when Jessup returned to the room, she pretended to be asleep and made plans to leave the next morning. While in the process of her gathering her belongings, Jessup reportedly woke up and tried to talk with her and apologize, at one point stating that he should “just kill himself.”
The report went on to say how the LVMPD also spoke with other witnesses who were with Jessup and the woman, who corroborated the woman’s story. One witness told police Jessup was “trying to run” for commissioner (actually county council) in Hancock County and that the sexual assault allegation may impact that.
The LVMPD had officials with the SPD interview Jessup, which the report said happened on May 9. The report stated that SPD chief Brian Pryor conducted the interview with Jessup and asked him if he has ever said anything inappropriate to the woman. Jessup replied “Sure I have,” and laughed afterward. Jessup told Pryor that the woman was pretty “lit” and he helped her into the shower and took her wet clothes off of her, the report stated.
The report says Pryor then asked Jessup why the woman wanted to leave, and Jessup told him because there was “inappropriate contact” between him and the woman.
Sexual assault is considered a Category A felony in Nevada, which is the most serious level of felony in the state. State law states it is illegal to engage in sexual penetration either by force or without lawful consent. The sentence for a sexual assault conviction depends on several factors, including the victim’s age, whether the victim was injured, and the defendant’s criminal history. According to Las Vegas statutes, for forced sexual penetration or sexual penetration without the ability to consent, the maximum penalty is life with the possibility of parole after 10 years.
County Commissioner Bill Spalding released the following statement to the Daily Reporter on Tuesday afternoon.
“While we were shocked to hear of the allegations against John Jessup, there is no connection between those allegations and any actions performed by Mr. Jessup in his official capacity as a Hancock County Commissioner. Further, he was not on county business in the state of Nevada at the time of the alleged occurrence.
“To the best of our knowledge, Mr. Jessup is still being held in the Shelby County jail awaiting extradition back to the state of Nevada. His extradition date is still unknown to us.
“Though we now have more information regarding this arrest, we will still refrain from any comment as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is actively investigating Mr. Jessup, and the alleged crime, and we reserve comment until the case has concluded.
“We will continue to direct all inquiries on this investigation to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.”
