A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted Adam Schlueter, a former U.S. Army member from Atlanta, on April 20 of sexually and physically abusing two minors during his deployment in Germany.
The case highlights the ability of federal law to prosecute crimes committed by Americans abroad, particularly those involving child exploitation. The prosecution was part of broader efforts to address such offenses through Project Safe Childhood.
According to U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, “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. Thankfully, federal law allowed my office and our partners in Washington to seek justice for the children Schlueter battered and molested abroad. Excellent work by the prosecutors and investigators assigned to this case will ensure that Schlueter is suitably punished for his wickedness.” Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said, “The defendant exploited a position of trust to carry out horrific abuse against vulnerable children. The FBI is committed to protecting children wherever these crimes occur and to ensuring those who commit such acts are held fully accountable. We are grateful to the victims for their courage in coming forward and to our partners who helped bring this case to justice.”
Schlueter was stationed at Grafenwöhr, Germany from 2009 until 2013 while enlisted in the U.S. Army. During this period he physically assaulted two minors—choking them and beating them—and one minor testified that he was pushed through a second-story window and dangled above ground at age eight by Schlueter. Both minors reported being sexually assaulted before they turned ten years old; testimony indicated that threats were made against witnesses or anyone considering reporting the abuse.
On April 17, a jury found Schlueter guilty on two counts each of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under twelve years old and assault resulting in serious bodily injury; sentencing is scheduled for July 9 with mandatory minimums totaling at least thirty years per count related to sexual abuse convictions.
The prosecution team included Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek for the Northern District of Georgia along with Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower from the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters.
Project Safe Childhood led this initiative nationally since May 2006 aiming at combating child exploitation via Internet-related offenses as well as identifying victims—more information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
Theodore S. Hertzberg served as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia according to official records. The office covers a region serving approximately 7.5 million residents across north Georgia mountains, Atlanta suburbs, and bordering Alabama and Carolinas according to its website. As principal federal law enforcement agency within its district according to official sources, it prioritizes prosecution of threats including terrorism, human trafficking, civil rights violations as stated online, enforces criminal laws while representing civil matters collaboratively with law enforcement agencies according to published information, coordinating cases nationwide or internationally when necessary as described officially.
