Former Illinois Soldier Sexually Abused 10-Year-Old; Is Sentenced

SAVANNAH, GA — A former soldier from Illinois was sentenced to nearly a decade in prison after he admitted to sexually abusing a child 16 years ago at a military fort in Georgia, officials said.

Clarence Michael Lynch, 43, of Highland, was sentenced to 109 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to abusive sexual contact with a child under 12, according to a news release published Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Georgia. The abuse occurred when Lynch was stationed at Fort Stewart, the news release said.

“Justice for this victim was long delayed, but ultimately not denied as the predator is now being held accountable for his vile actions,” U.S. Attorney David Estes said in the news release. “The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division did outstanding work in bringing Lynch to justice.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Lynch was fined $2,000 and must serve 15 years of supervised release, according to authorities, who noted Lynch was already a registered sex offender after being convicted in 2007 of sexual battery and false imprisonment of a 15-year-old. Lynch served 10 years in state prison and was dishonorably discharged from the Army following the 2007 conviction, the news release said.

Three years after he was released from state custody, a victim contacted Belleville police to report messages in which Lynch admitted to sexually abusing the victim at the age of 10 in 2006, according to the news release.

Anyone with information about suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678 or https://report.cybertip.org/.