Teacher charged after exposing himself to girls in school bus

Bouma worked as an eighth-grade math teacher at Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring since 2000, but is no longer an MCPS employee as of Monday, MCPS spokeswoman Kate Harrison said.

‘‘There is very little we can say regarding the situation, but we can say that Mr. Bouma is no longer employed by the Montgomery County Public Schools,” Harrison said.

She would not say whether Bouma resigned or was relieved of his duties.

According to police, a bus with students from the Academy of the Holy Cross, an all-girls Catholic school in Kensington, was traveling to crew practice about 3:15 p.m. on April 23, when students first saw a man in a convertible near the corner of Tuckerman Lane and Rockville Pike in North Bethesda.

Two students on the bus observed the man, who was driving a red Mazda Miata convertible, pulling his pants down and exposing himself, police said. As the bus made its way onto Interstate 495, the man followed it, driving around each side of the bus, exposing himself and engaging in a ‘‘personal sexual act,” according to police.

The crew team’s coach was also on the bus and was able to get the car’s license plate number and contacted police.

Maryland state and county police secured a warrant for Bouma’s arrest and took him into custody, according to county police.

According to District Court charging documents, Bouma admitted to the acts during a police interview. He also said that he had been seeking treatment for an addiction to indecent acts.

Bouma was also charged with indecent exposure in November 2005, in Anne Arundel County, but the case was eventually dismissed, according to court documents.

Following his arrest, Bouma was released. His initial trial date is set for June 12. If found guilty on all counts, Bouma could receive almost seven years in jail or $5,000 in fines.