Shockwaves in Ohio and Haiti: Ex-Missionary Accused of Years of Child Abuse Faces New Federal Charges
A former missionary tied to an Ohio-based ministry has once again been thrust into the spotlight, this time facing new federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing four children in Haiti over several years.
Jeriah Mast, 44, of Millersburg, Ohio, has been indicted after a federal investigation uncovered disturbing allegations from his multiple visits to Haiti between 2002 and 2019. Mast, who previously confessed to abusing approximately 30 Haitian children and additional victims in Ohio, once worked with the Millersburg-based Christian Aid Ministries, a prominent organization serving conservative Mennonite and Amish communities.
This is Mast’s second major criminal case. In 2019, he was sentenced to nine years in prison for sexually abusing two minors in Ohio. He was released early in 2024 after serving just under six years, granted judicial release for what the court described as an exemplary record and demonstrated remorse.
His release came with strict conditions: three years of supervised probation and mandatory participation in intensive sex-offender programs. Weeks later, Mast was arrested again on federal charges linked to his alleged crimes in Haiti.
Mast was taken into custody on November 5 and officially indicted on Tuesday. He is scheduled to appear in federal court in Cleveland for arraignment on Thursday.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer described the allegations as reprehensible and said such behavior will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Investigators say Mast’s missionary position gave him access to children. One of the children sexually abused was reportedly a 13-year-old boy he met through mission work and allegedly abused inside a tent.
The charges fall under U.S. laws that prohibit citizens from traveling abroad to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
Mast’s scandal first erupted in 2019 when he abruptly left Haiti. In a subsequent interview with investigators, he admitted to sexually abusing around 30 boys in Haiti between 2003 and 2019. Federal filings show the latest charges involve the abuse of four minors in 2004, 2007, and 2011.
The revelations shook Amish, Mennonite, and related conservative church communities, raising questions about silence, forgiveness pressures, and internal handling of abuse allegations.
In 2019, Christian Aid Ministries placed two managers on leave after it emerged they knew as early as 2013 about Mast’s confession but kept him in mission work. A spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment this week.
Christian Aid Ministries also made international news in 2021 after 17 missionaries and children were kidnapped in Haiti by a gang. Some were ransomed, while others escaped after weeks in captivity. This week, Joly Germine, the gang’s alleged leader, was sentenced to life in a U.S. federal court.
With Mast now facing federal prosecution, authorities say they are investigating whether additional victims may come forward. His public defender has not yet issued a statement.
This latest indictment has renewed outrage and intensified calls for better protections for children in mission environments, both abroad and within closed religious communities in the United States.
