Report: Dayton couple charged with child abuse, children test positive for meth

DAYTON — A Rhea County couple is facing child abuse charges after the Rhea County Grand Jury indicted a Dayton man and woman on five counts of child abuse each, according to court documents and an arrest report on file at the Dayton Police Department.

Chelcse Clark and Andrew Revis are facing the charged after the grand jury returned the indictments on Monday, June 3.

The investigation began in early March 2024 when investigators with the Rhea County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at the couple’s home on Railroad Street near downtown Dayton, according to Dayton Police Department Investigator Eric Ewton.

“According to the report concerning the incident, Mr. Revis was observed leaving the resident and was stopped for a traffic violation shortly after, at which point the search warrant was served on the residence,” Ewton said.

The report states that Clark was at the home with “several small children,” it also states that 121.2 grams of methamphetamine and 9.7 grams of counterfeit fentanyl pills were also found inside the residence.

Ewton said that about a week later, he assisted the department of children’s services in an interview with both Clark and Revis at the house and the children were eventually drug-tested as part of the investigation. Those drug tests, Ewton said, eventually came back positive for ampethamine, methamphetamine and Delta 8 THC.

Ewton said he presented his findings to the Rhea County Grand Jury, and it returned indictments for five counts of child abuse each. The two were arrested and booked into the Rhea County Jail, and according to jail records, they were still incarcerated as of press time Tuesday.