Atlanta man convicted of abusing minors while stationed abroad

ATLANTA – An Atlanta man faces a potential life sentence after a federal jury found him guilty of terrorizing two young children during his military service abroad.

What we know:

A federal jury found 39-year-old Adam Schlueter guilty on Friday following a four-day trial. He was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 12 and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

Schlueter was stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, from 2009 until 2013 while enlisted in the Army. During this time, prosecutors say he physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two victims who were under the age of 10.

Both victims testified during the trial that Schlueter beat and choked them. One victim recalled an incident at age 8 where Schlueter pushed him through a second-story window and dangled him above the ground. Evidence also showed Schlueter threatened victims and witnesses who spoke about his crimes.

What they’re saying:

“When he should have been honorably defending our country with the utmost integrity, Schlueter instead spent years terrorizing his young victims through physical and sexual abuse,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. “Excellent work by the prosecutors and investigators assigned to this case will ensure that Schlueter is suitably punished for his wickedness.”

What’s next:

Schlueter is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9. He faces a mandatory minimum of 30 years of imprisonment for each of the aggravated sexual abuse convictions and may be sentenced to life in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower are prosecuting the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters.