Former Georgia pastor sentenced to 10 years for sexually assaulting minor on mission trip

Macon, Georgia: In February Eric Tuininga plead guilty to a single count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places for sexually assaulting a girl under his care while he was working as a missionary in Uganda.

Yesterday evening Tuininga, 45, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell. Additionally, Tuininga was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to the victim.

Tuininga will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life.

“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.”