Hayden O’Byrne United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida | The Florida Bar
On May 23, a Colorado man received a 210-year prison sentence for sexually abusing children at an orphanage he founded in Haiti. Michael Karl Geilenfeld, aged 73 and most recently residing in Littleton, established St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in 1985 to support orphaned and vulnerable children. Over more than two decades, Geilenfeld frequently traveled from the United States to Haiti, where he abused boys under his care. Court documents also reveal that he physically and emotionally abused the children.
In February 2025, a federal jury found Geilenfeld guilty of one count of traveling in foreign commerce for illicit sexual conduct and six counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct abroad between 2005 and 2010. Each count pertains to a separate child victim at the time of the offense.
During the trial, six victims testified about the abuse they suffered from Geilenfeld and its lasting impact on their lives. Other victims, now adults, who were not part of the charged offenses also provided testimony regarding their experiences. They described physical abuse and manipulation by Geilenfeld to maintain his operations.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Monk for the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and Eduardo Palomo from the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project aims to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals exploiting children via digital means while identifying and rescuing victims.
Further information on related court documents can be accessed through the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida or via PACER under case number 24-cr-20008.
