A 68-year-old Moreno Valley man who spent decades as a foster parent to nearly 90 children is now facing multiple felony charges accusing him of sexually abusing minors in his care more than two decades ago. Edward Sepulveda was arrested by Riverside police in July and remains jailed as investigators say there could be additional victims they have not yet identified.
Sepulveda faces seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor, one count of lewd acts on a child, one count of sexual penetration of a child, and one count of statutory rape, according to KESQ. The charges followed a nearly year-long investigation by the Riverside Police Department, which the department says began after an initial victim came forward. As the Los Angeles Times reported, that first report spurred detectives to open a formal investigation on September 24, 2025.
Investigators with the department's Sexual Assault-Child Abuse Unit went on to identify three additional victims, according to a police release cited by the Los Angeles Times. Those victims described incidents occurring approximately 24 years ago, with the alleged abuse tied to a home on the 600 block of Highlander Drive as well as other locations in Moreno Valley, per the same account. Detectives believe there may be more victims or people with information relevant to the case, according to the police release.
Arrest, Bail and the Charges Ahead
Riverside police arrested Sepulveda on July 17, and he was initially booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Los Angeles Times reported. Court records later listed him as being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility, according to KESQ. He remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail.
Sepulveda pleaded not guilty during his arraignment before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jay Kiel, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for December 9, 2026, at the Riverside Hall of Justice, per KESQ's reporting. The Riverside Police Department has urged potential victims and anyone with information to contact Officer B. Vera at (951) 353-7945 or by email at [email protected].
Decades-Old Allegations, No Criminal Deadline
The case is only reaching criminal court now because California law allows some specified felony sex offenses to be prosecuted at any time, while other charges, including statutory rape, remain subject to time limits. California eliminated those criminal time limits for severe sex crimes in 2017, which is what allows prosecutors to bring charges nearly a quarter-century after the alleged abuse.
Adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse also have expanded options outside the criminal courts. California's Assembly Bill 218 extended the civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual assault claims up to age 40, or five years from the date a survivor discovers the harm, according to the California School Boards Association. That law broadened the potential for civil damages not just against individual abusers but against institutions accused of failing to protect children in their care.
A County Still Reckoning With Foster Oversight
Local reporting on the Sepulveda case has noted it renews attention on foster care oversight in Riverside County, which faced intense national scrutiny after the 2018 Turpin torture case, in which 13 children were rescued from severe abuse inside a local home, per KESQ. That earlier case forced county leaders to re-examine child protective and foster systems.
Between 1,200 and 1,600 youth enter the system each year, according to the Riverside County Office of Education. It was within that large system that Sepulveda served as a foster parent to close to 90 children over several decades.
Research cited by the Riverside County Office of Education found that foster children in California move schools an average of eight times while in care, each move costing up to six months of academic progress and deepening social isolation. The office also discusses mandatory reporters, including teachers and counselors.
