A Life Sentence for Abuse Committed on a U.S. Army Post in Germany

Adam Schlueter, 40, of Atlanta, was sentenced to life in prison and lifetime supervised release for the physical and sexual abuse of two children who were both younger than 10 at the time of the crimes.

Schlueter was a member of the U.S. Army stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, from 2009 to 2013. Evidence presented at trial showed that during those years he choked and beat the two victims, subjected them to emotional abuse, and sexually assaulted them. One minor testified that, when she was eight years old, Schlueter pushed her through a second-story window and held her above the ground. He also threatened victims and witnesses to prevent the abuse from being reported, including threatening to kill one witness.

A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted Schlueter on April 20. The sentence was announced by the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, and the FBI's Atlanta Field Office.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said Schlueter betrayed the honor and duty associated with serving in the U.S. military, and praised the survivors for coming forward. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said the sentence shows that authorities are willing to pursue such cases even years later and on the other side of an ocean. The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative launched in 2006 that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to pursue child exploitation cases and identify victims.

How a Civilian U.S. Court Pursued a Cross-Border Child Exploitation Case

Why a Civilian Federal Court, Not a Military Court

The conviction came in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia rather than through a court-martial. The case demonstrates that the Justice Department can pursue child exploitation cases involving former service members in civilian courts, even when the underlying conduct occurred years earlier and overseas.

What Made the Sentence Severe

The life sentence reflects several aggravating elements presented at trial: the victims were younger than 10, the abuse included repeated physical violence and threats, and the defendant attempted to prevent victims and witnesses from reporting the crimes. Prosecutors and the FBI emphasized the lasting trauma to children who should have been protected while living near a U.S. military installation.

The Project Safe Childhood Backdrop

Project Safe Childhood, launched in May 2006, links U.S. Attorneys' Offices with the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and with state and local agencies. This case illustrates how that framework can be used for prosecutions that cross national boundaries, not only for internet-based offenses.