Crime & Safety

Education Consultant Charged With Assaulting Child Has Pretrial Conference

Douglas Reeves is due in court again on Dec. 10.

 

A prominent education consultant who is alleged to have committed an indecent assault on a 9-year-old girl in Swampscott had his pretrial hearing on Monday.

At the hearing, Douglas Reeves, 58, of 100 Beacon St., #6, Boston, was scheduled to return to Essex District Court in Lynn for a compliance and election hearing on Dec. 10.

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On Dec. 10, the judge will review whether both sides have complied with motions and discovery, and the defendant can elect whether to have a jury trial.

The pretrial conference report states that a motion will be filed on matters upon which the prosecution and defense have not reached agreement.

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They are motions to include or exclude prior bad acts.

Reeves remains free on his own personal recognizance under several conditions restricting his contact with children.

Reeves is charged with indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Reeves' lawyer, Max Stern, said in an earlier interview that "this accusation is horrifying and devastating to Doug Reeves."

"It's simply not true," Stern said. "It never happened."

Reeves previously lived on Ocean Avenue in Swampscott, and is alleged to have touched a private area of the child in 2006, according to the court file.

The incident was alleged to have happened while the girl and her family stayed at the Reeves home on a trip that included a stop in Swampscott.

Reeves' conditions of release include the following:

  • No unsupervised contact with children under 16 except for his stepchild
  • No contact with witnesses
  • No entry to any elementary school or middle school without an adult present

Prosecutor Anna Zalewski of Essex County DA Jonathan Blodgett's Office had asked for a bail condition requiring the defendant to stay away from all elementary and junior high schools.

Reeves' lawyer argued against the restriction saying his client is an expert in assessment of teachers and students, and gives lectures and seminars throughout the country. Often times the consulting includes visits to schools where he has contact with adults, not children, Stern said.

Reeves is the founder of The Leadership and Learning Center, which serves school systems around the world.

He is the author of 30 books and numerous articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness.

Reeves is a former volunteer for the Swampscott High debate team.

 

 


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