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Gov. Deval Patrick's Brother-In-Law Indicted On Rape Charges

MILTON (CBS) - The brother-in-law of former Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick was indicted by a Norfolk Grand Jury on rape and kidnapping charges.

Bernard Sigh, 65, of Milton, was indicted Wednesday on charges of two counts of rape, three counts of assault and battery, kidnapping and witness intimidation, according to Norfolk district attorney's office.

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

Sigh is being held without bail by order of Quincy District Court Judge Daniel Dilorati, who revoked Sigh's bail for allegedly violating the no-contact provisions of his bail.

A Superior Court arraignment has not been scheduled at this time.

The indictment stems from Sigh's December arrest in Milton.

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

Shortly after his arrest and after pleading not guilty to the charges, Sigh was held without bail during a dangerousness hearing.

Quincy District Court Judge Mark Coven said in December that Sigh "presents a very real, immediate, imminent and clear danger" to the safety of the victim.

Sigh's lawyer said 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.

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