Joshua M. Boyer, 34, of Festus has been charged with four felonies for allegedly sexually molesting two young boys, court records show.
The alleged abuse occurred between October 2014 and March 20, 2017, beginning when one boy was 4 and the other was 7, and Boyer allegedly had sexual contact with at least one of the boys 20 or more times, the probable-cause statement said.
As a result of the alleged abuse, the older boy was injured and had to have surgery, the report said.
The boys said Boyer told them not to tell anyone about the alleged abuse or he would hurt them and their family members.
Boyer was charged April 11 with three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy and one count of first-degree attempted statutory sodomy, all felonies.
Each of the charges is punishable by 10 years to life in prison.
Boyer was being held today (April 13) at the Jefferson County Jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond.