A Marlboro man who had been working as a school bus driver is being accused of raping a child, the Middlesex District Attorney’s office said Friday.
Derek Thistle, 32, is facing charges after allegedly exposing himself to an underage boy while on Facetime in July 2023, the DA’s office says. The victim’s aunt also allegedly observed the call. After the incident, the victim said that Thistle had sexually assaulted him while the boy was at this home a few months earlier.
Thistle was employed by NRT, the district’s transportation provider and was not an employee of the public schools, Marlboro school superintendent Mary Murphy told Boston 25 News.
Murphy says Thistle drove routes in Marlboro from 2018 through 2022 and passed all state and background checks. There is no indication the charges involved a child attending Marlboro Public Schools or any school worker.
“The safety of those in our case is our main focus at all times, so we will be reviewing our transportation safety protocols and meeting with NRT to make sure all students have the highest level of protection possible,” Murphy said.