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Brother-In-Law Of Former Gov. Deval Patrick Held On Sex Assault Charges

QUINCY (CBS/AP) — The brother-in-law of former Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has been held without bail for 120 days after a judge determined he could pose a public danger following his arrest on sexual assault charges.

Bernard Sigh, 65, of Milton appeared in court for a dangerousness hearing Thursday, three days after pleading not guilty to charges of domestic assault and intent to rape in Quincy District Court.

Sigh
Bernard Sigh, 65, of Milton, brother--in-law of former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. (WBZ-TV)

Judge Mark Coven said that Sigh "presents a very real, immediate, imminent and clear danger" to the safety of the victim. Moments later, Sigh was taken away in handcuffs.

A woman told police Sigh hid in a closet in her Milton apartment on Saturday wearing only underwear. She says he grabbed her, preventing her from leaving, and dragged her back into the master bedroom and forced her to have sex.

She went to police the next day. Milton officers later arrested Sigh.

The woman was granted a restraining order against Sigh after the incident, a prosecutor said in court.

Sigh's lawyer says his client shares the apartment with the woman on an alternating basis, had reason to be there and didn't mean to frighten her.

Sigh served jail time in California for spousal rape in 1993.

The issue surfaced during Patrick's first run for governor in 2006. The former governor got involved in 2014 when Massachusetts required Sigh to register as a sex offender.

A spokesman for Patrick said he had no comment on Sigh's latest arrest.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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