A federal grand jury in Ohio has unsealed a damning indictment against Jeriah Mast, a 44-year-old resident of Millersburg, Ohio, charging him with four distinct counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti. The charges stem from an extensive pattern of abuse allegedly occurring during multiple trips Mast took to the Caribbean nation between 2002 and 2019.
Court documents reveal Mast frequently traveled under the auspices of Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), a religious organization, which provided a facade for his predatory actions. Investigators obtained flight records documenting over 30 separate journeys from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018, with each count in the indictment corresponding to the abuse of a different minor victim.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division condemned the alleged crimes, stating the defendant specifically targeted ‘vulnerable children living in an impoverished nation.’ He emphasized the department’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims regardless of where such crimes occur, asserting that ‘our law enforcement partners and prosecutors will continue to relentlessly seek justice.’
The case emerged through a collaborative investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland, which received substantial assistance from the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Detroit, highlighted the significance of the case, noting it exemplifies their mission to investigate individuals, ‘especially those in positions of trust who exploit children.’
This prosecution forms part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, a nationwide program launched in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. authorities are leveraging this framework to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes committed overseas, ensuring they face the full weight of American justice.