Board calls for town commissioner to step down after child sex abuse charges as bus driver

BALTIMORE - A town board in Frederick County is calling for Thurmont commissioner Robert Lookingbill to step down after he was arrested on multiple child sex abuse charges.

Lookingbill, 71, works as a bus driver for the Frederick County Public Schools as well as being a commissioner in the Town of Thurmont.

The board shared a statement on Tuesday at their meeting, but said they don't have the power to remove him from office.

"The allegations against Commissioner Lookingbill are very serious," the board said in a statement. "Our highest obligation is to serve the town and its people. For that reason, we are asking Commissioner Lookingbill to step aside to deal with his legal challenges. Please understand that we have no power to remove him from office. The Charter section 408 only provides that a commissioner shall be immediately forfeit of office upon conviction of a felony."  

Lookingbill is accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl on his bus.

Charging documents obtained by WJZ say the girl told investigators that one day Lookingbill told her to be the last one off of the bus when they arrived at school and then as he was saying bye to the girl and rubbed her behind.

Lookingbill described the touch to investigators as the way baseball players do and then demonstrated putting his hand forward and said, "pop."

Surveillance video captured the interaction between Lookingbill and the child.

Lookingbill has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 22.