18-year-old Lakewood man confesses to molesting more than 50 kids

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- An 18-year-old Lakewood man confessed to molesting upwards of 50 children after his mother turned him in to authorities in Riverside early Saturday, police say.

Detectives believe Joseph Hayden Boston has victimized children who have not yet come forward, according to Riverside police.

A Riverside police sergeant was flagged down at about 3 a.m. at the Magnolia Avenue Police Station by Boston's mother, who said she wanted to turn her son in for suspected molestation.

Officers learned that the suspect called his mother and said he had molested two young children hours earlier. The woman drove to her son's location and took him to the police station, where he later confessed to officers.

Police said Boston had been staying at the Simply Home Inn & Suites, located in the 9800 block of Magnolia Avenue, where he befriended two boys, ages 8 and 4.

Both children, who were staying at the motel with their parents, were allowed to go into the suspect's room Friday night when the molestation occurred.

Hours later, Boston told his mom what he had done.

When officers interviewed Boston, he confessed to sexually assaulting the two boys and admitted to molesting more than 50 kids since he was 10 years old. The crimes, he said, happened in different cities where he had lived.

The suspect has been staying in Riverside since early November, but lived in the cities of Lakewood and Buena Park.

Boston was arrested on counts of oral copulation on a child under the age of 10. He was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center with his bail set at $1 million.

The County of Riverside Child Protective Services took custody of both boys from the hotel, police said.

"This is going to affect not only the victims for a long time, but also our detectives and officers involved in this -- to hear someone just be very open about what they've done, and they're only 18 themselves," said Officer Ryan Railsback of Riverside police.

Anyone with information about the investigation or the suspect was urged to call police at (951) 353-7945.