BOSTON, MA — Michael Sebastian, a 56-year-old man from Lynn, has pleaded guilty to charges of sexually exploiting minors while teaching English in Laos. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled his sentencing for March 28, 2024. Sebastian was arrested in July 2020 upon his return to the United States and later indicted by a federal grand jury.
Sebastian operated an English school in Laos, where he taught impoverished children. He allowed some students to live with him, offering them to perform “chores” to earn credit towards their living expenses. These “chores” included giving Sebastian massages, during which he would be naked and require students to engage in sexual acts with him. From May 2018 to September 2019, Sebastian sexually abused three minor children who lived with him.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy described Sebastian’s actions as a manipulation of trust to exploit vulnerable minors. He emphasized the commitment to protecting children from threats and warned that predators would be held accountable.
Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, condemned Sebastian’s exploitation of his position as a teacher and his betrayal of children’s trust. She highlighted the FBI’s dedication to pursuing justice beyond American borders to protect vulnerable victims.
The charge of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a potential five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and governing statutes. The case was primarily investigated by the FBI’s Legal Attache office in Bangkok, with assistance from various FBI units and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.