Whitman Teacher Accused Of Inappropriately Touching Students Released On $10,000 Bail

BROCKTON (CBS) -- A Whitman elementary school teacher accused of inappropriately touching students was released on $10,000 bail Tuesday.

Matthew DiMuccio, 32, a music and dance teacher at Duval Elementary School, pleaded not guilty in Brockton District Court to two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child. Once on bail, DiMuccio, a Wellesley native, must wear a GPS monitor, stay out of Whitman and stay away from his accusers and cannot be near any child under the age of 16 without supervision.

In court Tuesday, the prosecutor claimed five victims made various accusations about DiMuccio, from inappropriate contact to smelling beer on his breath.

According to the prosecutor, a teacher overheard "students saying that they felt that the way that the defendant looked at them and the way that he touched them while playing a game he made up about modeling clay was creepy. Based upon hearing this the teacher did report this to the principal of the school who opened up her own internal investigation."

One fifth-grader said DiMuccio touched her chest and thighs during the game.

A defense attorney said DiMuccio learned the game in graduate school.

DiMuccio has no prior criminal record. He was placed on leave after a school resource officer was told about the alleged inappropriate contact.

Mike DiMuccio came to his son's defense outside court. He told WBZ-TV the charges could cost Matthew his career and "they're going to lose a good teacher."

A pretrial hearing was scheduled for July 29.

Around Whitman, people were concerned, but unsure.

"Make sure that the police are 100 percent positive that this man was inappropriate," said one man.

A woman said, "I just think it's pretty concerning and that they have to worry about teachers nowadays."