The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Mike Boyle of Sisters is facing multiple counts of sex abuse and other charges, after a Deschutes County Grand Jury handed up an indictment on Tuesday, September 7.

District Attorney John Hummel declined to file charges against the 60-year-old owner of Hop in the Spa in Sisters, after he was arrested on June 30 by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Detectives.

At that time, Hummel told The Nugget, “I declined to file criminal charges in this case because I determined the State could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Boyle touched the complaining witness in an area of her body that would constitute a crime.”

On September 8, his office announced that further investigation led to a grand jury indictment.

According to the DA’s office, after the initial alleged victim reported her concerns to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, additional alleged victims were identified, and investigations were conducted into their allegations. After reviewing the evidence obtained in these new investigations, Hummel presented the matter to a Deschutes County Grand Jury.

On September 7, the grand jury indicted Boyle for the following crimes:

• 13 counts of practice of massage without a license;

• Two counts of sexual abuse in the first degree (Class B felony);

• Five counts of sexual abuse in the third degree (Class A misdemeanor);

• One count of assault in the fourth degree (Class A misdemeanor).

There is a total of 11 victims, all of whom were allegedly victimized while patronizing Hop in the Spa, according to the DA

“Thanks to the first woman who reported her concerns about Mr. Boyle to law enforcement, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Detectives were able to uncover crimes Mr. Boyle committed against other customers of his business,” Hummel said in a written statement. “Her courageous act in reporting this matter protects potentially hundreds of other women from being touched inappropriately by Mr. Boyle. Our community owes her our thanks.”

Boyle is due in court on Thursday, September 23, at 9 a.m.