Former U.S. Army soldier gets life sentence for sexual assault of two young boys

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A former U.S. Army soldier will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the sexual assault of two children on the Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Georgia in 2017.

Austin Michael Burak, 32, was found guilty of sexually abusing two children on Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Liberty County. He received two life sentences, one for each victim, from U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker. The sentencing came after a jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia.

Courtroom testimony said in 2017, Burak abused and raped two minor boys while asleep in their beds. Three other witnesses testified they faced sexual abuse from Burak. One witness said they experienced years of sexual abuse. U.S Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia Meg E. Heap said the sentence was appropriate for the crimes committed.

“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,” Heap said in a press release.

The cases were investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.