Crime & Safety

Education Consultant Charged With Assaulting Child Scheduled for Hearing

Douglas Reeves, formerly of Swampscott, appeared in Lynn District Court on Monday. His pretrial hearing was continued until next month. In the meantime the prosecution will share discovery information with the defense.

 

A national education consultant charged with assaulting a 9-year-old girl in a sexual manner at his former home in Swampscott was scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 29 in Lynn District Court.

Douglas Reeves, 58, of 100 Beacon St., #6, Boston, appeared in Lynn District Court Monday with his lawyer, Max Stearn.

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The Reeves' case was originally scheduled for a pretrial hearing Monday but the prosecution and defense still have information to share under the court's discovery process.

Discovery provides the parties relevant information about the case.

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Assistant District Attorney Nicole Starrett told Judge James Wexler that the prosecution has relevant information to turn over to the defense.

Stearn requested that his client be excused from attending the Oct. 29 pretrial hearing and the judge granted the request.

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.

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

Earlier, at the arraignment in August, the judge entered a not guilty plea for the defendant on the indecent assault charge. 

At the time, Reeves was released on his own personal recognizance under several conditions restricting his contact with children.

Conditions set by the judge included 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

Reeves denies the assault took place. His lawyer said in an interview after the arraignment that "this accusation is horrifying and devastating to Doug Reeves."

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

Reeves is the founder of The Leadership and Learning Center, which serves school systems around the world, according to the center's Web Site.

It also states he is the author of 30 books and numerous articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness.

Reeves was the debate coach, a volunteer position, at Swampscott High School until the end of the 2011 school year.

 


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