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Founder of Haiti Boys School Gets 20 Years for Sex Abuse

For years, donors didn't want to believe claims against Douglas Perlitz

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 22, 2010 8:18 AM CST

(Newser) – Douglas Perlitz was hailed as a hero for founding a school that got homeless boys off the streets of Haiti—until it came out that he had been sexually abusing those boys for more than a decade. Perlitz, 40, founded the Project Pierre Toussaint in 1997 and seemed “like Jesus Christ himself come to rescue us,” says one former student. But the boys quickly learned to fear Perlitz, and tried to bring attention to his abuse for years before he was finally arrested in 2009. He was sentenced yesterday to nearly 20 years in prison, CNN reports.

Douglas Perlitz was sentenced to nearly 20 years for sexual abuse of Haitian boys.
Douglas Perlitz was sentenced to nearly 20 years for sexual abuse of Haitian boys.   (Shutter Stock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Colonel_Sanders
Dec 23, 2010 2:44 AM CST
Angry Haitian mobs have lynched at least 40 people in recent weeks, accusing them of spreading a cholera outbreak that has killed over 2,500 people across the country, officials said Wednesday. The number included at least 14 suspected sorcerers previously known to have been lynched in the far southwestern region of Grand Anse as local people feared they were spreading cholera with a magical substance
LK789
Dec 22, 2010 11:24 AM CST
What is it with guys and sexual abuse? How about if a guy wants to be around children he has to have some kind of surgery that removes his sexual desire/pervertedness? heh
bewilderbeast1
Dec 22, 2010 9:59 AM CST
And hey, guess what? He was CATHOLIC. Surprise!
 

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