Police: Teen admits molesting 50 children in California
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a teen who turned himself in to police has confessed to molesting some 50 children over the past years across Southern California.
Police say 18-year-old Joseph Hayden Boston was brought to a Riverside police station Saturday by his mother after he allegedly told her he had sexually assaulted two boys, ages 8 and 4, at a motel.
Officer Ryan Railsback says during an interview Boston confessed to the motel assaults. Railsback says he also admitted molesting about 50 children since the age of 10 in different cities where he had lived.
Officials say Boston was arrested on suspicion of two counts of oral copulation on a child under the age of 10 and jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.
It wasn’t immediately known if Boston has an attorney.
The investigation is ongoing.
Statement from police:
On Saturday, December 2, 2017, at about 3:00 a.m., a Sergeant with the Riverside Police Department was flagged down at the Magnolia Avenue Police Station by a mother who wanted to turn her 18-year-old son in for suspected molestation. The suspect called his mother and said he had molested two young children earlier. She drove to her son’s location and took him to the police station where he later confessed the acts to officers.
The suspect had recently been staying at the Simply Home Inn & Suites, located in the 9800 block of Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. It was there when he befriended an 8-year-old and 4-year-old male victims, who were also staying at this motel with their parents. The children were allowed to go into the suspect’s room last night when the molestation occurred. Hours later, the suspect called his own mother stating what he had just done.
Officers interviewed the suspect and he confessed to sexually assaulting the two juvenile victims in his motel room. He also admitted to molesting upwards of 50 children since he was 10-years-old in different cities where he had lived. The suspect has been staying in Riverside since early November 2017, but also resided in the cities of Lakewood and Buena Park in Southern California.
Detectives from the Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Unit responded to assist in this investigation. They later arrested Joseph Hayden Boston, 18-years-old of Lakewood, on counts of oral copulation on a child under the age of 10. He was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center with bail set at 1 million dollars. The County of Riverside Child Protective Services responded and took custody of both victim children.
Detectives believe Joseph Hayden Boston has victimized other children who have not yet come forward. They are asking for anyone with information about this investigation or the suspect to contact Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945 or pmiranda@riversideca.gov.”
