Accused teacher to have danger hearing

TAUNTON, MASS. (WPRI)-  The Bristol County District Attorney's Office will move for a dangerousness hearing in the case of accused teacher Patrick Doyle.

Doyle, 33, is facing a multi-count indictment charging him with five counts of enticing a child under the age of 16, four counts of aggravated statutory rape, two counts of sending obscene matter to a minor and one count of reckless endangerment to a child.

Doyle, an 8th grade social studies teacher at Taunton High School, is accused of having sex with two 14-year-old students and sending sexually explicit messages to three girls.

A dangerousness hearing was requested for Doyle during his arraignment earlier this month. This type of hearing attempts to keep the suspect behind bars since they are considered a danger to the community.

However, Judge Thomas Maguire ruled that the case did not constitute the need for a dangerousness hearing and instead set his bail for $150,000.

The District Attorney's Office appealed the decision to the Supreme Judicial Court. A justice ruled in favor of the state yesterday.

Mr. Doyle will now be subjected to a dangerousness hearing, which has been set for Tuesday, July 24th in Fall River Superior Court.