DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. — A Dinwiddie man was sentenced to 27 years in prison for sexually abusing two children.
Thomas James Burke, 34, recorded the abuse, which involved children under 11 years old, on his phone.
“The nature and circumstances of Burke’s conduct are nothing short of horrendous,” G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said. “His predation on these two minor survivors is likely to have personal and public reverberations for decades to come.”
Burke was arrested after police in Australia discovered his videos while investigating a child pornography case in that country.
“Those who think they may conceal their heinous crimes behind technology and across international borders are sorely mistaken,” Patrick Lechleitner, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, said. “Our highly trained investigators will continue to identify and locate these offenders wherever they are hiding to ensure Thomas Burke and criminals like him answer for their actions and cannot victimize another child.”
In addition to prison time, Burke was ordered to pay $97,500 in restitution.
