MACON, Ga. — A former Milledgeville pastor was sentenced Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl while doing missionary work in Uganda.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Eric Tuininga, 45, will serve 120 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Tuininga pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places.
The investigation began in June 2019, when a U.S. citizen connected with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Uganda contacted the U.S. Embassy and reported that Tuininga had sex with a 14-year-old Ugandan girl, the news release stated.
In March 2019, multiple agencies investigated the claim and found that Tuininga met the teen while he was working as a pastor with the OPC.
He also admitted that he engaged in illegal sexual activity with her.
“I want to recognize the true bravery displayed by the Ugandan girl for speaking out when she was assaulted by a trusted person of power from another country, courageously seeking justice across continents,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Law enforcement both abroad and here at home took on a challenging international case. Homeland Security Investigations’ Child Exploitation Unit worked tirelessly to ensure that the truth was uncovered and the defendant was held accountable for his crime.”
Tuininga will have to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victim, in addition to registering as a sex offender for life upon completion of his sentence.
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