A 45-year-old Ohio man has pleaded guilty in the United States to two counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.

The US Department of Justice said Jeriah Mast, of Millersburg, Ohio, entered the guilty plea on September 8.

According to US court documents, Mast travelled from the United States to Haiti on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2019, including trips with Christian Aid Ministries (CAM), where prosecutors say he sexually abused minors.

Flight records obtained by US law enforcement showed that Mast made more than 30 trips from the United States to Haiti between November 2002 and August 2018.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division said Mast “preyed on vulnerable children while working in Haiti as a missionary.”

Duva said the guilty plea reflects the severity of the crimes and the US government’s commitment to prosecuting citizens accused of exploiting children abroad.

“This type of predatory conduct — committed by someone entrusted with missionary work — represents a profound betrayal of trust,” Duva said.

US Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio described Mast’s conduct as a violation of children’s innocence and the trust placed in him by those who supported his missionary work.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland with assistance from the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio.

HSI Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey said the guilty plea highlights the agency’s efforts to investigate the exploitation of children, including by people in positions of authority, regardless of where the alleged crimes occurred.

Mast’s sentencing is set for December 15.

The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a US Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.