MIAMI – Authorities are seeking to raise awareness within South Florida’s Haitian-American community after they say a man accused of operating an orphanage in Haiti traveled to the country over a four-year period to sexually abuse children.
Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI indicted 71-year-old Michael Geilenfeld, of Iowa, for allegedly traveling 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,” according to detectives.
Investigators say Geilenfeld was arrested in Colorado after he allegedly traveled from Miami to Haiti several times to “prey on children” who were living at the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, which served economically disadvantaged children in and around 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,” said 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 several individuals reported that Geilenfeld sexually abused them when they were minors living there.
“HSI has a priority to investigate what is called child sex tourism, which is individuals who leave the country to exploit children overseas,” said Salisbury. “They do this hoping for lax laws, lax enforcement overseas.”
During an exclusive interview with Salisbury, he explained why authorities are trying to get the message out about this case to Miami’s Haitian community in particular.
“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 said. “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 related information or who may have been a victim or witness is urged to contact HSI at 877-4-HSI-TIP.
The attorney who represents Geilenfeld told Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez that he or his client didn’t have a statement to share regarding the allegations, since Geilenfeld has a detention hearing at a federal courthouse on Thursday.
The charge of traveling in foreign commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Local 10 News received Geilenfeld’s indictment Thursday night which viewers can read here: