Former soldier from Atlanta sentenced to life for sexually assaulting minors while stationed in Germany

A former soldier from Atlanta has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of sexually and physically abusing two minors while he was stationed in Germany.

According to officials, 37-year-old Adam Schlueter was stationed in Grafenwöhr, Germany, from 2009 until 2013. While he was in Europe, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District say he physically, emotionally, and sexually abused two children under the age of 10.

During the trial, one of the victims testified that Schlueter pushed them out a second-story window, dangling them above the ground.

Authorities also said Schlueter threatened to harm his victims and witnesses if they reported his abuse, going so far as to threaten to kill one person.

"Adam Schlueter betrayed the honor and duty that comes with serving in the U.S. military," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. "There is nothing honorable about subjecting the most vulnerable in our community to violence and sexual exploitation. We are grateful for the strength and courage of the survivors in this case who came forward to end this man's reign of terror."

In April, a jury convicted Schlueter 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.

"Through his years of sickening abuse, Schlueter betrayed the uniform of the U.S. Army and inflicted unimaginable harm on defenseless children," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Today's sentence underscores that we always stand ready — even years later and on the other side of an ocean — to vindicate the victims of such crimes and ensure justice is served."

On Thursday, a federal judge sentenced Schlueter to life in prison and a lifetime supervised release.