BOSTON (WHDH) - A Level 3 sex offender accused of kidnapping boys and threatening them with a firearm on multiple occasions in Boston was arrested following a lengthy investigation, police announced Tuesday.
Charlese Horton, formerly known as Charles Horton, is expected to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of kidnapping and assault by means of a dangerous weapon.
Officers responding to a radio call to investigate a person in the area of 122 Seaver St. in Roxbury on April 14 around 1:45 p.m. spoke with a boy and his mother after the juvenile met with a stranger who had friended him on Facebook, according to Boston police.
The boy reportedly told officers that the suspect was messaging him constantly, demanding he remove certain individuals from his page. The victim began ignoring the suspect, who allegedly responded by saying that they knew where the boy lived and would send someone to hurt him.
The suspect told the boy to meet at a restaurant in the area of Seaver Street and Humboldt Avenue, which police say the boy did out of fear.
When the boy arrived at the location, the suspect called him and told him to head to the area of 100 Seaver St., police continued.
The boy told officers that he and the suspect entered the rear of the building, where the suspect removed a firearm from a green shopping bag before forcing the boy to go on his Facebook account. The suspect then allegedly took the boy’s phone and began sending messages to the victim’s friends and family.
A police cruiser passed by the area, prompting the suspect to flee in an unknown direction, police said. He was described as wearing a distinctive hat with a marijuana leaf on the front.
Detectives launched an investigation and noticed similarities between this case and others.
On Jan. 2, a boy reported that someone kidnapped him with a firearm in the area of 500 Columbia Road.
On Oct. 28, 2019, another boy told officers that he too had been kidnapped and threatened with a firearm in the area of 150 Columbia Road.
Detectives identified the suspect as 42-year-old Horton, who has a residence on Trull Street in Dorchester.
Officers surveying Horton’s home watched the suspect enter a car before conducting a motor vehicle stop.
They reportedly noticed a green shopping bag in the rear of the car that was similar to the one the victim had described.
Horton was arrested and the vehicle was seized in relation to the investigation.
In 2000, Horton was convicted of abducting an 11-year-old and sexually assaulting him. Judge Maria Lopez sentenced Horton to probation.
The case gained widespread attention and eventually led to Lopez’s resignation.
The Boston Police Department is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this case. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police District B-2 (Roxbury) Detectives at 617-343-4275.
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