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A school bus driver accused of child rape had been reaching out to children online, according to police

Theo

A Marlborough, Massachusetts, man who worked as a school bus driver was charged Friday with child rape, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office said. Derek Thistle, 32, from Marlborough, 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 indecency. The DA’s office said Thistle is charged in connection with the allegation of sexual assault of a male child. Authorities say Thistle was communicating with the victim via FaceTime last July when he exposed himself. The victim’s aunt, who was also at the home, was also allegedly watching FaceTime, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said. Prosecutors say after the incident, the victim disclosed that Thistle sexually assaulted him when he visited the defendant’s home several months earlier. A Massachusetts woman said she asked questions about the school bus driver when her son said he had her child asked for a hug every day. “I’m like, ‘I have to meet this guy,'” said the mother of the 9-year-old fourth-grader. “My mother always told me to trust my instincts when it comes to people and my children. And, you know, and I just said, ‘There’s something wrong with him,'” the mother said. Thistle drove school buses for several districts, including Littleton, Marlborough and Sutton, until his behavior caught the attention of Sutton mothers. “He made contact, got phone numbers from kids, reached out to parents or kids’ phones if they had a phone,” the mother said. “Then he turned to children on PlayStation.” The mother said she went to Sutton Police at the time. “When I say inappropriate, I mean attempting to engage with them through social media and then possibly through online gaming,” Lt. Lisa Sullivan of the Sutton Police Department. “When that happened, the school called us and then we moved quickly to try to get the situation under control.” The next day, the city removed Sutton Thistle from driving school buses in the city. We discovered that Thistle was driving school buses in the state of Alabama, but the Department of Education revoked his license in 2018. It’s unclear if Friday’s charges are related to any of the Massachusetts school districts Thistle attended, but the 9-year-old’s mother is glad she spoke out. “This could have been prevented,” said the mother. “I find it heartbreaking.” Bail for Thistle was set at $10,000 at Friday’s arraignment on the condition that he stay away and have no contact with the victim or witnesses and has not had any unsupervised contact with minors. Thistle was also ordered to remain in Massachusetts and report to the parole board weekly. He was due back in court on Friday, May 17. “Littleton Public Schools and the Littleton Police Department have been notified of the arrest of a bus driver who works for the district’s contract transportation provider, Dee Bus Service,” said a letter from Dr. Kelly Clenchy, district manager. “The district is deeply disturbed by the seriousness of the allegations,” the letter said. “At this time, there is no indication that the allegations involve any child, staff or faculty member of (Littleton Public Schools). ” Clenchy said the person began working for Dee this school year after completing all required “Marlborough Public Schools has received disturbing information regarding the arrest of a bus driver formerly employed by NRT, the district’s contracted transportation company,” said a written statement from Mary Murphy, the school district’s superintendent Marlborough. “The individual drove routes within the District from 2018 to 2022 and passed all state and corporate background checks. He was not an MPS employee. “A school employee,” the statement said.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. –

A Marlborough, Massachusetts, man who worked as a school bus driver was charged Friday with child rape, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office said.

Derek Thistle, 32, from Marlborough, 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 indecency.

The DA’s office said Thistle will be charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a male child.

Authorities say Thistle was communicating with the victim via FaceTime last July when he exposed himself. The victim’s aunt, who was also at the home, also allegedly watched FaceTime, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said.

According to prosecutors, after the incident, the victim disclosed that Thistle had sexually assaulted him several months earlier while visiting the defendant’s home.

A Massachusetts woman said she asked questions about the school bus driver when her son said he asked her child for a hug every day.

“I’m like, ‘I have to meet this guy,'” said the mother of the 9-year-old fourth-grader.

“My mother always told me to trust my instincts when it comes to people and my children. And, you know, and I just said, ‘There’s something wrong with him,'” the mother said.

Derek Thistle, Mass. School bus driver

Thistle drove school buses for several districts, including Littleton, Marlborough and Sutton, until his behavior caught the attention of Sutton mothers.

“He made contact, got phone numbers from kids, reached out to parents or kids’ phones if they had a phone,” the mother said. “Then he turned to children on PlayStation.”

The mother said she went to Sutton Police at that time.

“When I say inappropriate, I mean attempting to engage with them through social media and then possibly through online gaming,” Lt. Lisa Sullivan of the Sutton Police Department. “When that happened, the school called us and we quickly went there to try to get the situation under control.”

The next day, the city removed Sutton Thistle from the city’s driving school buses.

We discovered that Thistle was driving school buses in the state of Alabama, but the Department of Education revoked his license in 2018.

It’s unclear if Friday’s charges are related to any of the Massachusetts school districts Thistle attended, but the 9-year-old’s mother is glad she spoke out.

“This could have been prevented,” said the mother. “I find it heartbreaking.”

Thistle’s bail was set at $10,000 at Friday’s arraignment, with conditions that he stay away from the victim and have no contact with the victim or witnesses and that he have no unsupervised contact with minors.

Thistle was also ordered to remain in Massachusetts and report to the parole board weekly.

He was due back in court on Friday, May 17.

“Littleton Public Schools and the Littleton Police Department have been notified of the arrest of a bus driver who works for the district’s contracted transportation provider, Dee Bus Service,” said a letter from Dr. Kelly Clenchy, District Executive.

“The district is deeply disturbed by the seriousness of the allegations,” the letter said. “At this time, there is no indication that the allegations involve any child, staff or faculty member of (Littleton Public Schools).”

Clenchy said the person began working for Dee this school year after passing all required state and corporate background checks.

“Marlborough Public Schools has received disturbing information regarding the arrest of a bus driver formerly employed by NRT, the district’s contracted transportation provider,” said a written statement from Marlborough School District Superintendent Mary Murphy. “The individual drove routes within the county from 2018 to 2022 and passed all state and corporate background checks. He was not an MPS employee.”

“At this time, there is no indication that this charge involves a child attending a district school or a school employee,” the statement said.

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