Ohio missionary pleads guilty to sexually abusing minors in Haiti
Key Points(5)
- An Ohio missionary has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the sexual abuse of minors in Haiti during years of travel to the Caribbean country, according to the U.S.
- Department of Justice.
- Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.
- According to court documents, Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including while working with Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), and sexually abused minors there.
- Federal investigators obtained flight records showing that Mast took more than 30 flights from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018.
An Ohio missionary has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the sexual abuse of minors in Haiti during years of travel to the Caribbean country, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.
According to court documents, Mast traveled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including while working with Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), and sexually abused minors there.
Federal investigators obtained flight records showing that Mast took more than 30 flights from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018.
His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2026.
“Jeriah Mast preyed on vulnerable children while working in Haiti as a missionary,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.
Duva said Mast's guilty plea reflected the severity of the offenses and the Justice Department's commitment to holding U.S. citizens accountable for the exploitation of children abroad.
“This type of predatory conduct — committed by someone entrusted with missionary work — represents a profound betrayal of trust, and today’s plea is an important step toward justice for the many victims harmed by Mast’s actions,” Duva said.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio similarly condemned Mast's actions, saying he had violated both the children and those who supported his missionary work.
“This defendant violated the innocence of children and violated the trust of those who supported his supposed missionary work,” Toepfer said. “It is reprehensible behavior that we will prosecute to the fullest.”
Homeland Security Investigations said the case underscored the agency's efforts to pursue people who sexually exploit children even when the crimes occur outside the United States.
“The defendant’s guilty plea underscores HSI’s critical mission to identify and investigate those who exploit children, including individuals entrusted with positions of authority, no matter where the crimes are committed,” said Jared Murphey, special agent in charge of HSI Detroit.
HSI Cleveland investigated the case with substantial assistance from the Holmes County Sheriff's Office in Ohio.
The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's Criminal Division through its Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
