Former Army Soldier Sentenced Life Prison Sexual Abuse Two Children Fort Stewart

Austin Michael Burak, a former U.S. Army soldier, was sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two children on the Fort Stewart Military Reservation in Georgia in 2017. He was convicted of abusive sexual contact and aggravated sexual abuse of a child after a jury trial in the Southern District of Georgia. Testimonies revealed that Burak sexually abused and raped two minor boys while they were asleep, and three other witnesses also described being sexually abused by him, with one recounting years of abuse. U.S. Attorney Meg E. Heap emphasized the severity of the sentence as a measure to protect the community and aggressively prosecute predators. The case was investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI, reflecting a coordinated effort to bring justice to the victims. Separately, William Michael Teany was also sentenced to life in prison for familial or custodial sexual battery on a child in Lehigh Acres, Florida, highlighting ongoing legal actions against child sexual abuse across states.