Former youth minister pleads guilty to child rape

News Release, Feb. 23, 2023

SALEM — A onetime youth minister formerly from Newbury pleaded guilty on Thursday to raping two boys and a young man he met through a local church and offered to mentor, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker announced.

Russell Davis, 70, of Seabrook, N.H., acknowledged committing three types of felonies – including rape of a child under age 16 - during a change-of-plea hearing in Salem before Superior Court Judge Thomas Dreschler.

The judge sentenced Davis to three to four years in state prison, followed by three years of probation. He also ordered Davis to register as a sex offender, receive sex offender treatment, have no contact with children under age 18 and no contact with any of the victims or witnesses in the case.

In a summary of the facts she would have presented at trial, Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall said Davis befriended young people he met through the United Methodist Church, where he served as a youth minister. Davis had also spent 20 years working for the U.S. Postal Service.

In each case, MacDougall said, Davis offered to mentor his victims and then sexually assaulted them – sometimes offering them gifts and cash afterward.

Also in each case, the victims came from homes lacking a complete family unit and, in some cases, sought assistance from the church to provide structure in their lives.

The victims ranged in age from 12 to 16.

The prosecution of the case was aided by Deputy Chief Aaron Wojtkowski of Newbury, Det. Robert Adams of Rowley and Sgt. Keith Forget of Salisbury.