Latest news with #StJosephsHome
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Colorado man sentenced to 210 years in prison for abusing children at orphanage
A Colorado man who founded a Haitian orphanage four decades ago is set to spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of sexually, physically, and emotionally abusing multiple children under his organization's care. Michael Karl Geilenfeld, 73, of Littleton, was sentenced to 210 years in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of several counts committed at the St. Joseph's Home for Boys in the Caribbean, the Department of Justice announced on May 23. He was arrested in Colorado back in January 2024. Geilenfeld was convicted last February of one count of traveling in foreign commerce with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, as well as six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, the Justice Department confirmed in a news release. Each of the six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct relates to six separate victims who were children at the orphanage between 2005 and 2010. All six victims, now adults, testified against Geilenfeld as well as other former child victims who were not subject to the related charges. "For decades, Geilenfeld used his position of trust and access to exploit vulnerable children under the guise of humanitarian work," FBI Assistant Director Jose A. Perez said in a news release. "We are grateful to those victims who came forward to report their abuse. The FBI is committed to pursuing those who commit crimes against children no matter where they occur or how long ago they were committed." USA TODAY reached out to attorneys listed as Geilenfeld's representatives for comment. In 1985, Geilenfeld founded the St. Joseph's Home for Boys, which he operated for more than 20 years, according to the Justice Department. He repeatedly traveled back and forth from the U.S to Haiti, where he sexually abused the children at the orphanage entrusted to his care, prosecutors said. Geilenfeld also physically and emotionally abused the children in the home through physical assault and other forms of punishment, prosecutors said. Victims and witnesses testified that Geilenfeld implemented manipulation tactics to ensure his orphanage was financially supported. "The defendant's sustained sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of some of the most vulnerable children in the world is intolerable," said Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. How to protect minors from sexual abuse: The predator is usually someone you know One of the men who testified in the case said he was 12 years old when Geilengeld abused him, the Miami Herald reported. The man testified that Geilenfeld brought him into his bedroom so he could "help him learn a prayer" but instead proceeded to sit him down in a chair, kiss him on the mouth, fondle his genitals and tried to have sexual relations with him, according to the Miami Herald. Geilenfeld reportedly operated multiple orphanages in Haiti until 2014 and opened another one in the Dominican Republic, the Miami Herald reported. In 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents found photos of the victims when Geilenfeld was traveling through Miami International Airport to the Dominican Republic, court records obtained by USA TODAY show. Investigators told the judge some of the photos showed victims in the indictment, which they said Geilenfeld planned to use to "intimidate victims to not testify against him." It's unclear whether the photos were sexually explicit. Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorado man gets 210 years in prison for abusing minors at orphanage
CBS News
24-05-2025
- CBS News
Colorado man sentenced to 210 years in prison after sexually abusing boys in orphanage he founded
A 73-year-old Colorado man was sentenced to 210 years in federal prison on Friday after a federal jury in Florida convicted him of charges related to his sexual abuse of boys in an orphanage he started and ran in Haiti. Michael Karl Geilenfeld started the St. Joseph's Home for Boys in 1985 and ran the orphanage for over 20 years, investigators said. During that time, he flew back and forth between the U.S. and Haiti multiple times and physically and sexually abused at least six boys in his care. He was convicted in February of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place. "The defendant's sustained sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of some of the most vulnerable children in the world is intolerable," Matthew Galeotti, head of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division, said in a statement. "This prosecution demonstrates the Department's commitment to securing justice for children harmed by criminals who travel abroad from the United States to commit their crimes. We thank our partners for working with us to ensure that the defendant can never harm another child." Michael Geilenfeld, following his arrest in Colorado in 2024. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Six of the victims, who were minors at the time of the abuse but are now adults, testified at Geilenfeld's trial. Additional victims testified, but prosecutors say Geilenfeld was only charged for his actions against six of them. Geilenfeld, originally from Iowa, was arrested in Littleton in January 2024. Geilenfeld operated several orphanages in Haiti until 2014, according to the Miami Herald, and opened another in the Dominican Republic. U.S. citizen Michael Karl Geilenfeld waits in handcuffs as the manager of his orphanage sits with him in the back of a police truck outside the St. Joseph's Home For Boys after police closed it down in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. Geilenfeld, who founded the boy's orphanage in 1985, was taken into custody on charges including indecent assault, according to authorities. The children had been previously removed from the orphanage, according to Port-au-Prince General Prosecutor Charles Kerson. Dieu Nalio Chery / AP Prosecutors and investigators celebrated the conviction and Friday's sentence. "This sentencing marks the end of a case built on the courage of survivors and the dedication of investigators," Jose A. Perez, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said. "For decades, Geilenfeld used his position of trust and access to exploit vulnerable children under the guise of humanitarian work. We are grateful to those victims who came forward to report their abuse. The FBI is committed to pursuing those who commit crimes against children no matter where they occur or how long ago they were committed."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Colorado man gets 210 years for sexual abuse of boys at orphanage
DENVER (KDVR) — A Colorado man received a sentence of 210 years in prison for sexually abusing numerous children in care at the orphanage he founded and directed in Haiti, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. The man, identified as 73-year-old Michael Karl Geilenfeld, most recently lived in Littleton. He founded St. Joseph's Home for Boys in Haiti in 1985. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox The DOJ said in a press release that he repeatedly traveled from the U.S. to Haiti and 'sexually abused the boys entrusted to his care' during his more than two decades operating the orphanage. The DOJ said he also abused the kids physically and emotionally through physical assault and other forms of punishment. Earlier this year, Geilenfeld was convicted by a federal jury on one count of traveling in foreign commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place between 2005 and 2010. Six victims testified about the abuse in the trial, describing the physical abuse inflicted at Geilenfeld's hands as well as the manipulation he used to keep the operation running. 'The defendant's sustained sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of some of the most vulnerable children in the world is intolerable,' said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. 'This prosecution demonstrates the Department's commitment to securing justice for children harmed by criminals who travel abroad from the United States to commit their crimes. We thank our partners for working with us to ensure that the defendant can never harm another child.' The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. The DOJ said the case was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
