A former soldier has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a girl under the age of 12 while he was stationed at Fort Polk.

Gjamale Demonte Kaver, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph on Friday. Joseph ordered the sentence be immediately followed by a lifetime of supervised release.

Kaver pleaded guilty to charge of abusive sexual contact with a minor on Aug. 18, 2022, after being formally indicted by a federal grand jury in Lafayette in March.

According to evidence presented to the court, the misconduct with the minor victim occurred while Kaver was enlisted in the U.S. Army and stationed at the Fort Polk Military Reservation in 2007, and continued when he returned to the installation in 2009.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has jurisdiction over federal crimes that occur at Fort Polk Military Reservation. Abusive sexual conduct with children is an intolerable crime and we will continue to prosecute those who commit these crimes to the fullest extent that the law will allow,” U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown stated.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. McCoy and J. Luke Walker.