A Colorado man who founded an orphanage in Haiti has been sentenced to 210 years in federal prison for sexually abusing children for decades.
Michael Geilenfeld, 73, established St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in 1985 as a home for orphaned and vulnerable youngsters. Instead, the facility became the site of unspeakable brutality at the hands of the man who claimed to look after them.
Geilenfeld, a US citizen, visited Haiti on a regular basis. Investigations found that throughout these trips, he routinely physically, sexually, and mentally abused the young boys in his custody.
Geilenfeld was convicted in February of seven serious offenses, including one for engaging in unlawful sexual activity while traveling in international trade, as well as six others for doing such actions with different minor victims between 2005 and 2010.
The sentencing took place in a Miami courtroom on Friday, where U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz handed down the maximum allowable penalty. As the sentence was read aloud, the courtroom erupted in applause, a moment of justice decades in the making.
“The defendant preyed upon some of the most vulnerable children in the world,” Judge Leibowitz said, highlighting Haiti’s ongoing struggles and the betrayal of trust committed by the man who claimed to be helping.
One of the victims, now 24, shared heartbreaking testimony: “This orphanage destroyed my childhood… the only thing that can make me forget is, I have to leave this earth. Only death.”
A total of ten victims came forward during the trial, six directly connected to the charges and four others recognized by the Department of Justice as survivors of Geilenfeld’s abuse.
The case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Childhood initiative, a DOJ program aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse.
Matthew Galeotti, chief of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, called the abuse “intolerable,” emphasizing how Geilenfeld’s power and access were used to exploit the very children he was supposed to protect.
Assistant Director Jose Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division added, “For decades, Geilenfeld used his position of trust and access to exploit vulnerable children under the guise of humanitarian work.”
Authorities praised the courage of the victims who came forward, breaking the silence and helping bring an abuser to justice.
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