CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — A local special education teacher was charged on Thursday with over 60 counts of child pornography and related offenses after state police say they uncovered an extensive collection of child exploitation materials, including disturbing videos of infants and toddlers.
Michael William Boston, 39, of Grove City, who is a teacher of hearing-impaired students across multiple school districts, was arrested on October 31, 2024, following a complex investigation that began with multiple cyber tips and spanned two states over the course of a year.
According to the criminal complaint filed by State Police Corporal Kristen Scassa, the investigation began in October 2022 when authorities received the first of 10 cyber tips linking Boston to child pornography uploaded through Synchronoss, a cloud storage platform used by Verizon customers. The tips, which continued through July 2023, prompted an initial investigation in Ohio before being transferred to Pennsylvania’s Northwest Computer Crime Unit.
Investigators say the material was discovered in multiple uploads between October 2022 and July 2023, with one cyber tip alone containing 17 files. The content was flagged by Synchronoss Technologies, which provides Verizon’s cloud platform and routinely screens for illegal content.
During the October 11, 2024 search of Boston’s Superior Street residence, investigators seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic analysis of just two devices — a phone and hard drive — revealed approximately 1,500 files of child pornography and an additional 1,200 files of what investigators termed “child exploitative material,” including children modeling in provocative clothing and suspicious webcam footage.
The criminal complaint details disturbing search terms found on Boston’s devices including at least one explicit query related to explicit acts between a teacher and student.
Files were discovered in Boston’s cloud storage, with investigators documenting videos containing serious child sexual abuse material and images of restrained minors, according to the criminal complaint.
Boston, who works for Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 in Clarion, traveled between various school districts to teach hearing-impaired students. His employment was confirmed through Pennsylvania’s Labor and Industry records.
Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 Executive Director Michael L. Stahlman addressed the allegations on Friday, November 1, 2024, in a written statement.
“There is an ongoing investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police have stayed in contact with me throughout this investigation. Evidence currently indicates no threat to our students and no involvement of any of our students,” said Stahlman in the statement.
“The investigation continues and no further statements regarding the investigation will be made until it is appropriate to do so. We will continue to act firmly and decisively to address this situation.”
The full text of Stahlman’s statement appears below.
The investigation took an unusual turn when Boston inadvertently confirmed his connection to the case. After investigators contacted his employer to verify his information, Boston called state police to inquire about the employment verification, providing the same phone number that was linked to the illegal uploads.
During an initial interview at his home, Boston confirmed his personal information and acknowledged using multiple VPNs on his cell phone and having secured WiFi, but refused to continue speaking with investigators when questioned about sexual contact with minors.
Boston faces the following charges:
– 11 counts of disseminating photos or films of child sex acts (Felony, 2nd degree)
– 50 counts of child pornography possession (Felony, 2nd degree)
– 2 counts of criminal use of a communication facility (Felony, 3rd degree)
A professional bondsman from Liberty Bail in Pittsburgh posted Boston’s $100,000 bail on October 31. Court records show Boston is represented by David Joel Shrager of Pittsburgh.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 13 before Mercer County Magisterial District Judge Douglas E. Straub.
Investigators noted that additional devices seized from Boston’s residence have yet to be fully analyzed, suggesting the possibility of additional charges.
The case remains under investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Computer Crime Task Force.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Extreme graphic details were not included due to the sexual nature of the alleged crimes.
The following statement was issued on Friday, November 1, by Michael L. Stahlman, Executive Director of Riverview Intermediate Unit 6:
“As Executive Director of Riverview Intermediate Unit, it is with a heavy heart that I convey the following message. A member of our professional teaching staff has been arrested on felony charges of child pornography. Although this will appear to some as a black eye on our organization, there was no conceivable way for us to have known this was going on. We took action to remove the person from active participation in our organization as soon as we were initially informed of an investigation.”
“There is an ongoing investigation, and the Pennsylvania State Police have stayed in contact with me throughout this investigation. Evidence currently indicates no threat to our students and no involvement of any of our students. The investigation continues and no further statements regarding the investigation will be made until it is appropriate to do so. We will continue to act firmly and decisively to address this situation.”
“For all within the organization, keep your head high. We have done great things for those we serve and will continue to do so in the face of adversity. Do not take personal the generalizations that may be inferred or directed at our organization or people. The truth, in the long run, will stand as proof of our professionalism and integrity.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims. Our hearts ache for them. No action will relieve them of the pain they have suffered. We can only wish them peace of mind and a future more positive than they have experienced thus far.”