Allegations of a heinous act involving an 80-year-old school bus driver, Jeffrey Hyland of West Yarmouth, and a juvenile female student have emerged in the Barnstable community. Hyland was arraigned on charges of aggravated indecent assault and battery and reckless endangerment of a child earlier this week.
As per the official statement from the Barnstable Police Department, earlier this week, when the Barnstable Police were alerted to the alleged incident at approximately 1:30 p.m. The department conducted an investigation and found corroborating evidence of the accusations before placing Mr. Hyland under arrest and setting his bail at $5,000. The police department, for now, continues to investigate the allegations.
At the arraignment, the Commonwealth's request for a $10,000 cash bail and specific conditions such as no contact with the victim or minors under 18 and staying away from schools was met with a differing resolution from the court. The court order stated that Hyland would be released on personal recognizance without cash bail, provided that he stays away from and maintains no contact with the victim, and undergoes GPS monitoring.
Jeffrey Hyland is scheduled to return to the Barnstable District Court for a probable cause hearing on December 7, 2023. Prosecuting the case are Assistant District Attorney Vanessa Madge and Victim/Witness Assistant Kori McGrath.
In response to the sensitive nature of this investigation and the age of the victim, both the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office and the Barnstable Police Department will not offer further comments on the pending charges against Jeffrey Hyland.
