School bus driver from Marlborough accused of raping child

A Massachusetts man who has worked as a school bus driver in several towns is accused of raping a child.

Derek Thistle, a 32-year-old Marlborough resident, appeared in Middlesex Superior Court Friday to face a slew of charges.

Thistle was arraigned on charges of forcible rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and open and gross lewdness, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said.

Prosecutors say the charges stem from the sexual assault of a male child Thistle knows.

Thistle is accused of exposing himself to the victim on FaceTime in July of 2023.

The boy's aunt was in the home and saw this occur, according to prosecutors. He disclosed after this incident that Thistle had allegedly sexually assaulted him a few months earlier.

Thistle was ordered held on $10,000 bail with conditions that he stay away from and have no contact with the victim or any witnesses. He is forbidden from having unsupervised contact with minors, and he is required to remain in Massachusetts.

Several school districts say Thistle previously transported students in their district, including Marlborough and Sutton.

Marlborough Public Schools said in a statement that they received "disturbing information" regarding the arrest of a bus driver formerly employed by NRT, the district's contracted transportation provider.

Thistle drove routes within Marlborough from 2018-2022 and had passed all state and company background checks.

"At this time, there is no indication these charges involve any child attending a district school, or any school employee," the statement from Marlborough read. "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."

In Sutton, police say the bus driver had also previously transported students in their district, however that came to an end in September 2023 when several parents raised concerns. Police determined at the time that no crimes had taken place but they say they followed up with Sutton's transportation partner -- AA -- to report what they called "inappropriate behavior."

Police told the bus company that the driver was no longer welcome in their district, and Sutton Public Schools sent a message to families at the time letting them know there had been a change in bus drivers.

On Saturday, Sutton Schools sent another message to families regarding the incident in Littleton, saying safety and student wellness is always at the forefront of what they do, which is why they immediately changed bus drivers back in September when parents voiced their concerns.

The superintendent of Littleton Public Schools said they are also deeply troubled by this case against a contracted employee who had contact with the district's students. Dr. Kelly Clenchy noted, however, that the allegations of crimes against a child were filed in another community.

"We will fully cooperate with all law enforcement agencies during this investigation," Clenchy wrote. "The safety of our students guides every decision we make. We will be reviewing our transportation policies, and meeting with Dee Bus Service to ensure their hiring practices are in complete alignment with our security goals."

Thistle is due back in court May 17. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney who could answer to the charges against him.