Before the case began, Zobel disclosed that his wife, Rya Zobel '53, is member of the University's Board of Overseers. But he said he could hear the case impartially despite those ties.

William Moran, who is an eminent Ischolar of Near Eastern languages, has taught at Harvard since 1966. John R. Marquand, secretary of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, said he did not know whether any disciplinary action is now being contemplated against Moran.

The procedure for censuring professors varies from department to department and from case to case, he said.

The couple appeared calm and sat quietly as the charges were read into the court record, and Assistant District Attorney Audrey Parr graphically described the accusations.

Parr said the couple should pay a sizeable bail because of the seriousness of the charges.

But the Morans' attorney, Brackett Denniston, told Zobel that bail is "inappropriate" in this case, arguing that the Morans are "renowned in their communities and widely respected." Denniston then lashed out at the prosecution for presenting a graphic description of the facts, which was "directed at a wider audience."

The Morans, as they were leaving the courthouse, would not comment on the charges.

In her descripition, Parr told the judge that there was evidence that Suzanne Moran used a "sharp object" during one of the assaults on her grandson.

She told her grandson she would "kill his parents" if word ever got out about the alleged encounters, Parr said.

Parr accused William Moran of sexually assaulting his step-granddaughter while her parents were out of state preparing for a family move.

Parr told the court that William Moran asked his alleged victim not to tell anyone about "their secret."

According to a court document filed by the Commonwealth, the alleged molestations came to light after the children's parents began to notice "increasingly unusual changes" in their son's behavior. The parents, who are both physicians, placed the children in therapy, the statement said.

"Both victims then independently disclosed that they had been abused by the defendants," Parr wrote in the statement.

Denniston said the Morans' defense will center on the credibility of the witnesses. He said the children were extremely young at the time of the alleged assaults.

He also told Zobel that one of the defendants will hire another attorney in order to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

Friends of the Morans expressed shock and surprise at the accusations leveled against the couple.

"It's a wonderful family," Steinkeller said. "They're the best, most decent, honest people I've ever known," he said, adding that he felt the charges were "fabricated."

The Rev. Frank Dorman, a member of the church where Suzanne Moran works, defended Suzanne Moran. "I firmly believe she's not guilty," he said.

Dorman, said he thought of her as a "patient, kind, loving, caring person." "I've never heard her raise her voice," he added.

Professor Piotr Steinkeller, who, like William Moran, is a specialist in Assyria, was also critical of the sensational nature of the charges. "I'm surprised this was so blown up and received so much publicity," he said.