Veteran Boston police sergeant Paul Downey charged with child rape
A Boston Police officer of over 30 years has been charged with child rape after being accused of paying a 14-year-old for sexual acts.
Sergeant Paul Downey appeared in Boston Municipal Court in Dorchester Tuesday and was ordered held on $250,000 cash bail.
Charges against Boston Police Sgt. Paul Downey
A judge approved an arrest warrant for Sergeant Downey, who is charged with four counts of Rape of a Child Aggravated by Age Difference, two counts of Engaging in Sexual Conduct with a Child under 18 for a Fee, and two counts of Enticement of a Child under 18 to Engage in Commercial Sexual Activity. Downey was scheduled to be arraigned on Monday afternoon, but was held without bail until Tuesday because no defense attorney was available.
Downey allegedly met a 14-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr, then the two moved the conversation to Snapchat, according to a statement of the case provided by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.
The 58-year-old Downey is accused of meeting the boy twice this spring, at different Boston locations, and paying the child for sexual acts. The boy allegedly provided state police detectives with a description of Downey and a partial license plate number, which was tracked to a parking area for Boston Police.
Investigators also used digital records to track Downey's Snapchat account and claim the boy identified him in a photo lineup Friday with "a 90% certainty."
"Go online, parents, Google 'what are the sites that children are going on the most.' Gather that information. It's terrifying that a grown man had access to this young boy," said Audrey Morrisey, the executive director of, a non-profit that works to prevent youth sexploitation. "Who has the power? The child or the groomer? The adult."
Former Boston Police Academy instructor
Sources told WBZ's I-Team that Downey used to be an instructor at the Boston Police Academy. According to Boston Police, he joined the force in 1991.
"These charges are obviously very troubling and our thoughts are with any alleged victims. We have faith in the Massachusetts State Police and the SCDAO to conduct a thorough investigation. The officer was immediately placed on administrative leave," said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Peace Officer Standards Training Commission (POST) Downey's law enforcement certification.
Downey is due back in court on July 29 for a probable cause hearing.
