Cleveland cheer gym closing after coach indicted for sexual battery

UPDATE:

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that David Pendergrass was a coach at Cheer Madness Elite (CME Fitness) in Cleveland, Tennessee.

On Friday, CME Fitness posted on Facebook that they will be permanently closing. This will be in effect starting Monday, June 26.

EARLIER:

BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Bradley County deputies say they have arrested a Cleveland man for sexually abusing three girls. A Bradley County grand jury indicted

David Pendergrass (Bradley County Sheriff’s Office)

him on Wednesday.

They are charging 38-year-old David Pendergrass with two counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, plus two counts of sexual battery.

Pendergrass’s indictment states that between 2018 and 2020, he engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact with one teenage girl under 18. It shows she was around 14 years old when the abuse began.

In addition, it states that he engaged in nonconsensual sexual contact with two other girls in April of 2023. It does not give the ages of these two victims.

According to the indictment, Pendergrass was “in a position of trust, or had supervisory or disciplinary power over [one] victim.” It goes on to say that he had “legal, professional or occupational status and used the position of trust or power to accomplish the sexual contact.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Pendergrass worked for/owned a cheer fitness gym in Cleveland, Tennessee. We are working to verify that information.

Officials set his bond at $80,000.

We will continue to update you as we learn more.