School bus driver from Marlboro charged with raping child

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.

Thistle was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court Friday and bail was set at $10,000 under the conditions that he stay away from and have no contact with the victim and no unsupervised contact with minors.

Thistle is charged with forcible rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and open and gross lewdness in connection with allegedly sexually assaulting a male child who was known to him.

He is next scheduled to appear in court on May 17.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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