Man from Colorado sentenced to 210 years in prison for sexual abuse

A man from Colorado was sentenced to 210 years in federal prison after being found guilty of sexual abuse at the Haitian orphanage he ran. Michael Karl Geilenfeld was found guilty by a federal court in Florida after being convicted in February 2025 on six counts of unlawful sexual conduct at a foreign location. Before his arrest in January, Geilenfeld was also convicted on one count of traveling abroad with the intent of engaging in unlawful sexual activities. According to investigators, the 73-year-old founded and ran St. Joseph's Home for Boys in Haiti in 1985 and operated the orphanages for over two decades until 2014. The Iowa-born man reportedly traveled regularly between the USA and Haiti and physically and sexually abused at least six boys under his care between 2005 and 2010. Matthew Galeotti, head of the US Department of Justice's Criminal Division, said the victims were "sexually, physically, and emotionally abused" by Geilenfeld. "This prosecution demonstrates the Department's commitment to bringing justice to children harmed by criminals who travel from the United States abroad to commit their crimes," Galeotti said. The victims, six of whom were minors at the time, testified as adults in the trial, along with other victims, but he was only charged for offenses against six of them.