How Did a Former American Missionary End Up Facing Decades in Prison?
Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, was found guilty on February 20, 2025, of sexually abusing six Haitian boys at his Port-au-Prince orphanage. The Miami federal jury deliberated for just five hours before convicting the American founder of St. Joseph’s Home for Boys on six counts of engaging in illicit sexual contact with minors and one count of traveling from Miami to Haiti for that purpose. Geilenfeld, who rejected a plea deal before the trial began in early February, now faces up to 30 years in prison on each count at his May 5 sentencing before U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz.
5 Key Points
- Six former orphanage residents, now in their 20s, testified about abuse that occurred between 2005-2010 when they were 9-13 years old.
- Prosecutors presented evidence that Geilenfeld kept photos of his alleged victims discovered by U.S. Customs in 2019.
- The defendant was arrested in Colorado in January 2024 following a Homeland Security and FBI investigation.
- Defense attorneys claimed the victims were “recruited and paid off with money and the opportunity of asylum.”
- Allegations have followed Geilenfeld for over a decade, including a previous arrest in Haiti in 2014.
What Evidence Led to Geilenfeld’s Conviction?
Prosecutors Lacee Monk, Eduardo Palomo, and Jessica Urban portrayed Geilenfeld as a predator who used his position to target vulnerable Haitian boys from broken families or with no parents. One 28-year-old witness testified through a Creole interpreter that when he was 12, Geilenfeld brought him into his bedroom supposedly to help him learn a prayer. “His pants were down, and his penis was rubbing against my behind,” the man testified, describing how he “pushed him” and “ran outside” the owner’s bedroom. The victim added that Geilenfeld later warned him “not to tell anybody else about this.”
The federal investigation uncovered that Geilenfeld kept a dossier with photos of his alleged sexual abuse victims. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents discovered this evidence in May 2019 when Geilenfeld was traveling through Miami International Airport to the Dominican Republic. The array of photos included pictures of some victims cited in the indictment, strengthening the prosecution’s case that Geilenfeld “held himself out as a missionary while using his position and privilege to sexually abuse young boys and cover up his crimes.”
Why Did Victims Wait Years to Come Forward?
One victim testified that he had been ashamed of what happened to him. “I was ashamed at what had happened to me,” he stated in court, recalling that when he discussed the alleged sexual abuse with other residents, he was stabbed by a St. Joseph’s boy close to Geilenfeld. Prosecutors displayed an image of the man’s scar from the stab wound near his left collarbone as physical evidence supporting his testimony about intimidation within the orphanage.
The same witness emphatically denied defense claims that victims had been paid for their testimony, stating: “I’m very sad, and I hope to get justice. I’m a victim. It’s my right to testify.” This powerful testimony directly countered defense attorneys Raymond D’Arsey Houlihan III and Jean-Pierre Gilbert’s argument that the six minor victims named in the indictment were recruited and compensated with money and the possibility of asylum in the United States.
What Is Geilenfeld’s History of Allegations?
Allegations of sexual abuse have followed Geilenfeld for more than a decade. The Haitian government closed the original St. Joseph’s home in Port-au-Prince in 2014 following Geilenfeld’s arrest there over sexual abuse allegations. After spending a year in jail on suspicion of charges of indecent assault and criminal conspiracy, his case was dismissed by a judge after alleged victims failed to appear at a key hearing. The victims filed an appeal, which was granted, but the case has yet to be retried in Haiti.
After children’s rights advocate Paul Kendrick and Haitian journalist Cyrus Sibert launched a campaign to have him arrested, Geilenfeld and a Raleigh, North Carolina, nonprofit group that supported his orphanage sued for defamation in federal court. They initially won a judgment against Kendrick, who lives in Maine, but that was later vacated due to lack of jurisdiction. A second lawsuit was filed in state court in Maine, resulting in Kendrick’s homeowner’s insurance policies paying the charity $3.5 million, though Geilenfeld himself received no financial compensation.
What Happens Next in the Case?
Geilenfeld faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for each of the seven counts against him. U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2025. The judge had previously denied Geilenfeld’s release before trial in April 2024, finding him both a danger to the community and a flight risk to the Caribbean. This decision came after prosecutors filed a superseding indictment accusing Geilenfeld of “engaging in illicit sexual conduct” with minors at St. Joseph’s in addition to the original charge of traveling from Miami to Haiti for that purpose.
During that detention hearing, prosecutors revealed the scope of allegations extended beyond the six victims who testified, claiming Geilenfeld “sexually abused 20 boys” at his orphanage and then threatened them not to speak or they would be harmed. The federal investigation was launched by Homeland Security Investigations and joined by the FBI, eventually leading to Geilenfeld’s arrest in January 2024 in Colorado, nearly a decade after his orphanage was closed by Haitian authorities.
How Did St. Joseph’s Orphanage Operate Under Geilenfeld?
Geilenfeld founded St. Joseph’s Orphanage in 1985, operating multiple orphanages in Haiti through 2014. The institution offered vulnerable Haitian children shelter, schooling, meals, and a structured environment with chores and prayers. Prosecutors described how this promise of stability and care turned into a “nightmare” for many boys under Geilenfeld’s control. Between 2005 and 2010, six boys aged 9 to 13 became victims of sexual abuse at the facility, according to the court case.
After fleeing Haiti amid growing allegations, Geilenfeld opened another home in the Dominican Republic. This pattern of establishing new facilities after facing accusations emerged as part of the prosecution’s characterization of his methods. Court records showed that Geilenfeld maintained substantial support from a North Carolina nonprofit organization that continued to back him even as allegations mounted, demonstrating his ability to maintain an appearance of legitimacy despite serious accusations.
Why Was This Case Tried in a U.S. Federal Court?
Despite the abuse occurring in Haiti, U.S. federal law allows the prosecution of American citizens who engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors in foreign countries. The specific charges against Geilenfeld included traveling from Miami to Haiti to engage in illegal sexual conduct and establishing jurisdiction for federal prosecutors in Miami. This application of extraterritorial jurisdiction highlights efforts by U.S. authorities to combat child sexual abuse by Americans overseas.
The prosecution’s case benefited from cooperation between multiple federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI. The discovery of photographic evidence by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Miami International Airport in May 2019 provided a crucial link in the investigation. This international dimension of the case demonstrates how federal authorities maintain vigilance at border crossings and ports of entry to identify evidence related to ongoing criminal investigations.
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