Michael Geilenfeld, a 71-year-old Iowa native and founder of a Haiti orphanage, St. Joseph's Home for Boys, is confronting a criminal charge in the United States following an investigation that uncovered allegations of sexual abuse against a minor during his travels to the country according to Des Moines Register.

Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI have indicted Geilenfeld, accusing him of 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," as per charging documents.

The charge of traveling in foreign commerce with the intent of engaging in illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

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Michael Geilenfeld's Legal Proceedings and Past Accusations

Geilenfeld made an initial court appearance on Monday, where he did not enter a plea, AP reports.

While he has previously denied accusations of sexual abuse, his Massachusetts attorney, Robert Oberkoetter, declined to comment on the recent case.

Michael Geilenfeld, who was arrested in Colorado, is scheduled for a detention hearing before being transported to Miami, where the case originated.

Authorities in Haiti have long probed sex abuse allegations against Geilenfeld. In 2014, he was arrested based on accusations made by child advocate Paul Kendrick.

Kendrick claimed Geilenfeld was a serial pedophile, with allegations stemming from young men who asserted they were abused by Geilenfeld in Port-au-Prince, where he founded the Haiti orphanage in 1985.

The case in Haiti was dismissed in 2015 after Geilenfeld spent 237 days in prison.

Subsequently, he and a charity linked to the orphanage sued Kendrick in a federal court in Maine, attributing Geilenfeld's imprisonment, harm to his reputation, and loss of donations to Kendrick.

The lawsuit was resolved in 2019, with Kendrick's insurance companies paying $3 million to Hearts with Haiti, the associated charity, and nothing to Geilenfeld.

At the recent hearing, prosecutors secured their request to keep Michael Geilenfeld in custody as the case unfolds.

A detention hearing on Thursday will allow them to present evidence supporting his continued incarceration and initiate the process of transferring him to Miami for prosecution.

The Haiti Orphanage

The Haiti orphanage founder, Michael Geilenfeld, established St. Joseph's Home for Boys in 1985, receiving support from the non-profit Hearts With Haiti, based in Raleigh, The News&Observer reports.

Despite accusations, Hearts With Haiti consistently defended Michael Geilenfeld.

The organization continues to support the St. Joseph Family, providing education and housing to individuals with disabilities and economically disadvantaged children in Jacmel, Haiti.

According to Emily Everett, executive director of Hearts With Haiti, the original St. Joseph's Home for Boys closed in 2014.

Michael Geilenfeld has not been associated with the St. Joseph Family ministries since 2014, and Hearts with Haiti severed all ties with him years ago, clarifies Everett.

The organization expresses no knowledge regarding Haiti orphanage founder's guilt or innocence concerning the sexual abuse federal charges.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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