A former Army soldier, Austin Michael Burak, 32, of Oak Harbor, Washington, has been sentenced to concurrent life sentences after being convicted of sexually abusing two children at Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Georgia. The sentencing took place on September 4, 2025, following a jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker imposed the sentence after Burak was found guilty of abusive sexual contact of a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Meg E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the outcome.
“There are appropriately severe consequences for sexually assaulting children,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who prey on the most innocent among us. The community is safer now that a sexual predator will spend the rest of his life imprisoned.”
Courtroom testimony revealed that in August 2017, Burak sexually abused and raped two minor boys while they were asleep in their beds. Three additional witnesses testified during the trial that Burak had also sexually assaulted them when they were minors; one described years of abuse.
Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, stated: “The FBI is unwavering in its commitment to protect our most vulnerable—our children. This sentence ensures that Austin Burak will never again have the opportunity to harm another child, and it demonstrates the dedication of our agents and law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to bring justice to survivors of these heinous crimes.”
Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Western Field Office commented: “The sentencing of Austin Burak represents a significant outcome in the pursuit of justice for the victims in this horrific case. Army CID worked diligently alongside our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case, and we remain steadfast in our dedication to protecting our communities.”
The investigation was conducted by the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Sherri A. Stephan and Michael Z. Spitulnik.