An American missionary accused of sexually abusing girls at an orphanage he ran in western Kenya has pleaded guilty to the charges in a US court, local media in Philadelphia report.

Gregory Dow is likely to serve up to 16 years in prison, according to the Lancaster Online.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places during a teleconference on Monday with US District Judge Edward Smith and federal prosecutors.

He ran the orphanage in Bomet county, 263km (163 miles) west of the capital Nairobi, with his wife Mary Dow.

He committed the crimes between October 2013 and September 2014.

Mr Dow fled Kenya in September 2017 to avoid prosecution after police were tipped of the abuses.

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: