An 80-year-old former school bus driver from West Yarmouth faces multiple charges, including sexual assault of minors, after a Barnstable County Grand Jury handed down indictments against him, the Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office confirmed. Jeffrey Hyland stands accused of two counts of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, in addition to charges of reckless endangerment of a child and witness intimidation.
According to the DA's statement, the charges followed two separate allegations made against Hyland in the town of Barnstable. The first report, on September 13, 2023, detailed an indecent assault and battery on a juvenile female by her male bus driver, while a second victim, on October 3, 2023, alleged that Hyland had inappropriately touched them around September 5, 2023. The Cape & Islands District Attorney's Office stated that Barnstable Police were able to recover corroborating evidence following an investigation into the first incident.
Overseeing the case are Chief of Child Protection Unit Assistant District Attorney Vanessa Madge and Victim Witness Assistant Kori McGrath. The ongoing legal process has prompted the DA's office to limit comments on the proceedings at the current stage. No arraignment date has been publicly set for Hyland as of now.
The investigation that led to the indictments was conducted by the Barnstable Police Department. This update follows recent efforts to encourage reporting of sexual assault incidents, especially within vulnerable populations, such as schoolchildren. The community has been shocked by the allegations, given the trusted position Hyland once held as a school bus driver. Nevertheless, with legal action impending, the hope is justice may soon be served for the alleged victims.
