A former Army soldier has been given a life sentence without parole for sexually abusing two children at Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Georgia. According to a U.S. Department of Justice press release, Austin Michael Burak, a 32-year-old from Oak Harbor, WA, faced a federal jury trial ending last Thursday, which led to his conviction on charges of abusive sexual contact of a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child.
The courtroom testimony revealed that in August of 2017, Burak had sexually abused and raped two minor boys. "There are appropriately severe consequences for sexually assaulting children," U.S. Attorney Meg E. Heap said in a statement obtained by the Department of Justice. The sentence aims to aggressively prosecute such grievous offenses and to make evident that the community can feel safer now that Burak is behind bars. The sentence was passed down by U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker, wherein Burak's punishment was decided to reflect the seriousness of his crimes.
In addition to the two minor boys Burak was convicted of assaulting, three other witnesses also testified during the trial that they had been sexually assaulted by Burak while they were minors. One of these witnesses detailed years of abuse. FBI Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, Paul Brown, emphasized the importance of the sentence, stating to the Department of Justice, "This sentence ensures that Austin Burak will never again have the opportunity to harm another child." The conviction and sentencing of Burak signify a strong stand against child sexual exploitation by the FBI and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The collaborative effort in bringing Burak to justice involved the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Western Field Office told the Department of Justice, "The sentencing of Austin Burak represents a significant outcome in the pursuit of justice for the victims in this horrific case." Assistant United States Attorneys Sherri A. Stephan and Michael Z. Spitulnik prosecuted the case, which resulted in Burak's conviction and life imprisonment for each of the two counts.
