Davenport Arraigned for Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SALEM, Mass. – July 30, 2025 – Dewayne Davenport, 53, of Danvers, was arraigned today in Superior Court in Salem, where he was charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14, the Office of Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker announces. Prosecutors say the allegations date back to the early 2000s when the defendant was employed as a gymnastics teacher with Yellow Jacket Gymnastics in Danvers and Palaestra Gymnastics Academy in North Andover, which is now closed.

Appearing today before the Hon. Thomas Drechsler, Davenport pled not guilty to the charges and was released on personal recognizance with conditions to stay away from and have no contact with alleged victims and witnesses; the Commonwealth provided a list of names of individuals that the defendant may not contact or go near as part of Davenport’s conditional release. Assistant District Attorney Lindsay Nasson is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Commonwealth. Davenport is being represented by attorney John Slattery.

Davenport is scheduled to return to court for a compliance hearing on October 2 at 9:30 a.m.

All suspects and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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