MIAMI – Authorities are seeking to lift consciousness inside of South Florida’s Haitian-American neighborhood after they are saying a person accused of working an orphanage in Haiti traveled to the rustic over a four-year duration to sexually abuse kids.
Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI indicted 71-year-old Michael Geilenfeld, of Iowa, for allegedly touring from Miami to Haiti between November 2006 and December 2010 “for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person under 18,” in line with detectives.
Investigators say Geilenfeld was once arrested in Colorado after he allegedly traveled from Miami to Haiti a number of occasions to “prey on children” who have been residing on the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, which served economically deprived kids in and across the capital of Port-Au-Prince.
“He (Geilenfeld) was opening and operating an orphanage to prey on some of the most vulnerable children in the world,” stated Special Agent Anthony Salisbury, of Miami’s Homeland Security Investigation. “We believe he was traveling down to Haiti in order to sexually exploit children using the orphanages he ran as a cover.”
Federal investigators say a number of folks reported that Geilenfeld sexually abused them once they have been minors residing there.
“HSI has a priority to investigate what is called child sex tourism, which is individuals who leave the country to exploit children overseas,” stated Salisbury. “They do this hoping for lax laws, lax enforcement overseas.”
During an unique interview with Salisbury, he defined why government are looking to get the message out about this case to Miami’s Haitian neighborhood in explicit.
“We have concerns that this subject had access to hundreds of children over the years who would be young adults at this time, that he owned and operated these orphanages between 2006 and 2010,” he stated. “So, if you believe you are victim of any exploitation by this individual or at orphanages he ran and operated, we want you to contact us.
“The Haitian community (is) already dealing with a lot,” added Salisbury. “We are well versed with the issues going on in Haiti, so from our footprint here in Florida. We are trying to do everything we can for the people of Haiti to include the exploitation of their children and we want to make sure we are there working to combat that threat.”
Anyone with comparable information or who could have been a sufferer or witness is recommended to touch HSI at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
The legal professional who represents Geilenfeld instructed Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez that he or his consumer didn’t have a remark to percentage in regards to the allegations, since Geilenfeld has a detention listening to at a federal courthouse on Thursday.
The price of touring in overseas trade with the aim of enticing in illicit sexual behavior carries a most sentence of 30 years in jail.
Local 10 News won Geilenfeld’s indictment Thursday night time which audience can learn right here:
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