Case Summary: Joseph Boston Child Molestation Arrest

By Paul Miranda, Retired Police Detective | 4 Star Private Investigations

In December 2017, while serving as a Police Detective with the Riverside Police Department, I was assigned to investigate a high-profile child molestation case involving Joseph Hayden Boston, who was 18 years old at the time of his arrest.

The case began when Boston’s mother flagged down officers outside the Magnolia Avenue Police Station after her son confessed to her that he had molested two young boys the night before at the Simply Home Inn & Suites in Riverside, California. She brought him directly to the station, where he was taken into custody.

Through my expert training in forensic interview techniques, I was able to obtain a full confession from Boston. During the interview, he not only admitted to sexually assaulting the two juvenile victims, ages 8 and 4, but also provided a disturbing and candid psychoanalysis of his own behavior. Boston claimed to have molested more than 50 children since he was 10 years old, across multiple cities in Southern California, including Lakewood and Buena Park.

He openly reflected on his motivations, past trauma, and behavioral patterns. It was clear that he had spent significant time thinking about his actions, and his insights during the interview offered a rare but unsettling window into the mind of a serial offender. This information was critical to understanding the scope of his crimes and establishing a credible pattern of behavior.

Boston was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including oral copulation with a child under the age of 10, and was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center with bail set at $1 million. Riverside County Child Protective Services immediately intervened to ensure the safety of the known victims.

Joseph Boston was sentenced Friday to 30 years to life in state prison.

As the lead detective, this case remains one of the most significant and emotionally difficult investigations of my career. It also reinforces why proper training, empathy, and professional skill are essential when working cases that involve the most vulnerable victims—children.