Former Missionary Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting Children in Haiti

            Daniel John Pye, 36, an Ashdown, Arkansas, resident was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for traveling in foreign commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, also known as child sex tourism. 

            Benjamin G. Greenberg, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Mark Selby, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.

            Pye, originally of Bradenton, Florida, was convicted in November 2017, after a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro, of three counts of traveling in foreign commerce with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b). 

            According to court records and the evidence presented at trial, Pye was a missionary who operated an orphanage in Jacmel, Haiti, from the years of 2006 through 2012.  The orphanage provided shelter, clothing, food, and school tuition to children without families and to children whose families could not afford to feed or otherwise support their children.  Pye obtained financial support for the orphanage through his connections with numerous religious organizations and other nonprofit groups in the United States.  During his time operating the orphanage, Pye would regularly sexually abuse the female residents of his orphanage, including girls as young as six years old.  As described by the Haitian victims during trial, Pye routinely sexually abuse his victims both at the orphanage and while at the beach.

            Since leaving Haiti, Pye resided in the Liberty Hill, Texas, Texarkana, Texas, and Ashdown, Arkansas, areas.  Prior to arriving in Haiti, Pye resided in the Bradenton and Fort Lauderdale areas of Florida.

            Mr. Greenberg commended the investigative efforts of ICE-HSI.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Widlanski and Ilham Hosseini.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.