An Atlanta man faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years in federal prison after a jury in the Northern District of Georgia returned a guilty verdict Friday, convicting him of the systematic physical and sexual abuse of two children.
Adam Schlueter, 37, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The charges stem from Schlueter’s time stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, as a member of the U.S. Army between 2009 and 2013.
During the trial, evidence revealed a harrowing environment of violence. Both victims, who were under the age of 10 at the time of the assaults, testified to being choked and beaten. In one specific account, a victim recalled being pushed through a second-story window at just eight years old and dangled over the ground.
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Beyond the physical violence, prosecutors proved that Schlueter used death threats to maintain silence. According to court records, he threatened to kill a witness to ensure the abuse remained hidden from authorities.
The conviction was announced by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham. The investigation was spearheaded by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office as part of “Project Safe Childhood,” a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to coordinate federal and local resources against child exploitation.
Schlueter is remains in custody pending his July 9 sentencing hearing. While he faces at least three decades in prison, federal district court judges have the authority to impose a life sentence after reviewing sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek.
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