A man from Littleton who established an orphanage in Haiti has been sentenced to 210 years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing orphans under his care.
Michael Geilenfeld, 73, founded St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in 1985 and managed the facility in Port-au-Prince for over two decades.
He used his authority to exploit orphaned children, subjecting them to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, as stated in a news release by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Geilenfeld was convicted in February of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country between 2005 and 2010, traveling for the purpose of engaging in such conduct.
The six charges were based on six victims who were minors at the time and later testified against Geilenfeld.
Matthew Galeotti, the head of the department’s Criminal Division, expressed, “The defendant’s prolonged sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of some of the most vulnerable children in the world is unacceptable.”
“This prosecution showcases the department’s dedication to seeking justice for children harmed by individuals who travel overseas from the United States to commit crimes,” Galeotti added.
At the time of Geilenfeld’s conviction in February, abuse allegations against him in Haiti were unresolved.
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