Ohio Missionary Who Abused Boys in Haiti Pleads Guilty, Faces Up to 33 Years in Prison
A former missionary from Ohio has pleaded guilty to federal charges of sexual abuse of two boys in Haiti, and prosecutors are recommending a prison sentence of 25 to 33 years.
Jeriah Mast, 45, of Millersburg, Ohio, entered his guilty plea on September 8, 2026, in federal court in Cleveland. The charges are for abuse of boys between the ages of 12 and 16 on missionary trips to Haiti.
Mast served in Haiti from 2002 to 2019, including several years with Christian Aid Ministries, a Millersburg-based organization that helps with missionary work among Amish, conservative Mennonite and related church communities.
Mast confessed to the factual basis of other charges of abuse of other boys, according to court records. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop two additional charges.
The case has also sparked questions about the treatment of allegations of child sexual abuse in certain conservative religious circles. Children and affected families may be pressured to forgive or reconcile with those accused of abuse instead of seeking formal justice, advocates have said.
Mast was previously convicted in Ohio in 2019 and sentenced to nine years in prison for gross sexual imposition on two boys. He was early released in October 2025 and put on probation.
Federal investigators stepped up their investigation into his actions in Haiti following his release.
Mast will be sentenced Dec. 15. The case has brought to the fore the need for more robust protection of children in international missionary and religious programmes.
