A school bus driver accused of sexually assaulting a boy in Marlborough was charged with rape this week, according to authorities.
Derek Thistle, 32 of Marlborough, was arraigned Friday in Middlesex Superior Court 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 in connection with allegedly sexually the boy, who was known to him, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office said in a statement.
Thistle is accused of exposing himself to the boy while communicating with him on FaceTime in July 2023. The child’s aunt, who was also in the home, also allegedly observed the incident, according to the district attorney’s office’s statement.
Following the incident, the boy disclosed Thistle had sexually assaulted him when he was visiting the man’s home a few months earlier, the statement said.
Thistle has reportedly been working as a school bus driver, the district attorney’s office noted.
Bail for Thistle was set at $10,000. The judge ordered he stay away from and have no contact with the boy or any witnesses, have no unsupervised contact with minors, remain in Massachusetts and report weekly to probation. His next court date is scheduled for May 17, according to the district attorney’s office.
