A Highland Heights councilmember has resigned after he pleaded to a sexual abuse charge connected to allegations involving a former legal client.
At the council’s Sept. 1 meeting, City Administrator Michael Giffen read a statement from councilmember Jesse Hockenbury. In the statement, Hockenbury said he is resigning from council, effective Oct. 1.
“It has been an honor to serve residents of Highland Heights,” Hockenbury wrote in the letter. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have served this community over the last two years.”
Over the coming weeks, Hockenbury wrote, he will continue working with city administration to ensure an orderly transition of his current duties.
The Enquirer left a voicemail asking Giffen if someone else would fill Hockenbury's
seat before the upcoming election but did not immediately receive a response.
Hockenbury, 32, an attorney and Highland Heights councilman since 2025, was charged in February with third-degree misdemeanor sexual abuse after a woman accused him of grabbing her crotch and soliciting sex.
Court records show Hockenbury entered an Alford plea on July 28, meaning he did not admit guilt but acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence for a conviction.
City leaders urged Hockenbury to resign
In an Aug. 4 meeting, councilwoman Rene Heinrich shared details on the case that she said Highland Heights Police Chief Bill Birkenhauer had shared with the council.
According to Heinrich, Hockenbury had provided free legal representation to a woman during her divorce proceedings. After the final hearing, the woman agreed to drive him home because he does not drive.
During the trip, Heinrich said the woman had declined Hockenbury’s advances to celebrate the divorce at a bar. Heinrich said when the two had arrived at Hockenbury's residence, he grabbed the woman in the crotch area and propositioned her for sex.
Later in that Aug. 4 meeting, councilmembers agreed to move forward with a public hearing to remove Hockenbury from his seat if he did not resign in light of the plea.
The last meeting Hockebury attended was on June 2. At that meeting, several council members asked him to refrain from participating in council business until the criminal case was resolved, citing potential conflicts involving matters related to the Highland Heights Police Department.
Hockenbury was sentenced to 90 days in jail but will not have to serve time unless he violates the court's conditions within the next two years, including not having any contact with the woman and staying 500 feet away from her house and job at all times.
This story may be updated.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NKY councilmember resigns after pleading to sexual abuse
