American missionary Maylon Foshee is scheduled to return to federal court docket Oct. 12 after being charged with illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti, the place authorities allege the 23-year-old Louisiana man sexually abused kids whereas working as a missionary in Gonaïves.
Foshee, who constructed a big social media following by way of movies showcasing his fluency in Creole and his missionary work in Haiti, faces as much as 30 years in federal jail if convicted. The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Western District of Louisiana introduced the cost Sept. 30, eight days after prosecutors secured a federal legal grievance in opposition to him.
The grievance was filed Sep 22. 2026, in america District Courtroom for the Western District of Louisiana, prices Foshee beneath a federal regulation prohibiting illicit sexual conduct with minors out of the country. Based on an FBI affidavit filed with the grievance, investigators started wanting into allegations in opposition to Foshee after receiving a grievance in March 2026. The affidavit says Foshee traveled to Haiti on mission journeys between 2023 and 2025 and labored with Agape Ministries in Gonaïves, the place he labored carefully with kids, helped ship them to highschool, and allowed some to remain at his residence.
“Defending kids from sexual abuse wherever it happens is considered one of this Administration’s highest priorities, and figuring out, investigating, and prosecuting youngster predators in our Louisiana communities lies on the coronary heart of our Workplace’s mission to maintain our communities secure,” stated U.S. Lawyer Zachary A. Keller. “Our Workplace thanks the FBI for its phenomenal investigative work and appears ahead to seeing justice achieved on this important case.”
The FBI affidavit says brokers interviewed no less than three minors who disclosed alleged inappropriate sexual conduct involving Foshee. The FBI had “possible trigger to imagine that Foshee dedicated violations of 18 U.S.C. § 2423(c),” which prohibits illicit sexual conduct involving minors by U.S. residents or everlasting residents whereas overseas.
At a Sept. 29, 2026 listening to, Foshee waived his proper to a preliminary examination and stipulated that possible trigger supported the fees within the legal grievance, based on court docket information.
The three minors who reported alleged inappropriate sexual conduct by Foshee lived in Gonaïves and the third lived in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. Investigators traveled to Haiti and the Dominican Republic in August to conduct forensic interviews with the three minors.
The affidavit additionally references voice messages allegedly despatched by Foshee after allegations started circulating. Based on investigators, Foshee acknowledged that one thing had occurred with one minor and stated he had “fastened this entire drawback.” He additionally advised somebody that he had not deliberate what occurred and that it “simply occurred,” based on the affidavit.
The FBI additionally reviewed Foshee’s journey information, which confirmed a number of journeys between america and Haiti from 2023 by way of February 2026. Investigators stated the journey dates positioned Foshee in Haiti when two of the minors had been 14 years outdated.
One of many minors, recognized as MV1, lived with Foshee, who paid for his education. Based on the affidavit, MV1 advised investigators that Foshee allegedly engaged in sexual conduct with him whereas he was sleeping at Foshee’s residence in Gonaïves.
The affidavit says the alleged conduct occurred once more about three months later. MV1 additionally advised investigators that he was afraid of Foshee and described incidents by which Foshee allegedly yelled at him and beat him with a belt.
One other alleged sufferer, recognized as MV2, additionally stayed at Foshee’s residence, based on the affidavit. Investigators stated MV2 advised them he wakened with Foshee on high of him and touching him sexually.
The affidavit says MV2 tried to take away Foshee’s hand and that the alleged incident occurred the night time earlier than his fifteenth birthday. MV2 reportedly advised investigators he initially didn’t disclose what occurred as a result of he was afraid Foshee would cease paying for his education.
The affidavit additionally describes allegations from MV3, who was 14 years outdated on the time of the alleged incidents. Investigators stated MV3 lived with Foshee due to difficulties at residence.
Based on the affidavit, Foshee allegedly invited MV3 to sleep in his mattress and later engaged in undesirable sexual contact. The affidavit additionally says Foshee provided to take MV3 to america and procure a passport if MV3 carried out a sexual act.
The FBI affidavit additionally particulars an interview with MV3’s older brother, recognized as P.D.
P.D. alleges Foshee tried to have non-consensual sexual activity with him. He additionally supplied investigators with photographs that he stated had been circulating involving Foshee.
Social media following attracts consideration to case
Foshee had constructed a large following on TikTok earlier than his arrest, posting movies about his missionary work and interactions with Haitians, typically talking in Haitian Creole. As of Oct. 1, 2026, he had greater than 100,000 followers and greater than one million likes.
The federal case has since drawn consideration on the platform.
In a single TikTok video circulating after Foshee’s arrest, a girl seems to indicate a person on her telephone as they stand facet by facet.
Her face is blurred, and textual content accompanying the video reads, “Yo arete Maylon Foshee,” Haitian Creole for “They arrested Maylon Foshee.”
The video prompted reactions from customers, together with one commenter who wrote, “That is inappropriate.”
Just like Foshee, missionaries equivalent to Michael Geilenfeld had been additionally convicted of abuse. In Haiti, missionaries have lengthy taken benefit of residents.
Government director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, Brian Concannon, attests to this and says missionaries in Haiti are benefiting from their status and financial energy to sexually abuse Haitian kids they declare to be serving to.
“The corrupt and weak Haitian justice system virtually by no means prosecutes foreigners for sexual abuse, ” stated Concannon.
He provides that the U.S. authorities has arrested and prosecuted lots of the perpetrators, “However in each case the arrests have come years after the preliminary reviews of abuse, and in lots of circumstances the missionary organizations allowed the perpetrators continued entry to susceptible kids, relatively than believing the victims.”
Foshee’s federal public defender and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace declined to remark.
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