A well-known Tennessee pediatrician has been arrested following a grand jury indictment on sexual battery charges involving children.
Dr. Chris Calendine, 45, of Rogersville, Tennessee, was arrested at his medical practice’s office early Monday afternoon and charged with aggravated sexual battery and sexual battery by an authority figure, based on allegations made by two boys who are 12 and 14 years old.
In Tennessee, sexual battery is defined as unlawful sexual contact and the ‘aggravated sexual battery’ term is applied to victims under the age of 13.
Dr. Chris Calendine, 45, was arrested Monday on charges of sexual battery involving children after being indicted by a grand jury. The allegations were made by two boys, ages 12 and 14
Calendine is a well-known pediatrician from Rogersville, Tennessee, where he has a medical practice, founded a youth fitness program and once donated $10,000 in reward money to find a kidnapped nine-year-old patient who had apparently been taken by her uncle
The attorney general’s office told the Times-News that the alleged sexual battery took place in July, but could not provide any additional details about what is said to have happened.
According to documents obtained by the Times-News, the indictment states that when the alleged sexual battery occurred, Calendine had custodial authority over the 14-year-old boy.
In a text message to the Times-News, Calendine said Tuesday that, ‘The accusations are completely false’ and added that he intended to prove it.
Calendine is well-known within the Rogersville community.
Calendine was a non-paid volunteer physician with the local high school’s football team, but was stripped of the role after he was arrested for public intoxication in December 2016
Calendine was banned from school property following the arrest, but the local school board contracted him to provide school-based health clinic services for the upcoming academic year
He founded a free, community-based, youth fitness program — called ProStrength & Speed — and also donated $10,000 in reward money to help find a kidnapped nine-year-old girl, Carlie Trent, in 2016. At the time, Trent, who was believed to have been kidnapped by her uncle, was one of Calendine’s patients.
His arrest on sexual battery charges is not the first time he’s run afoul of the law, though.
In December 2016, Calendine was arrested for public intoxication while at a nearby high school basketball game.
Following the arrest, Calendine was ejected from his non-paid volunteer position as football team physician at the town’s local high school, Cherokee High School, and banned from school properties for two years, the Times-News reported.
In May, however, the Rogersville City School Board of Education contracted Calendine for school-based health clinic services for the upcoming academic year.
Calendine was freed on a $50,000 bond later in the day on Monday afternoon.
If convicted of the charges, he could be sentenced from three to 12 years in prison. He is due in court for arraignment on August 31.