Chris Hamburg repeatedly raped his girlfriend's daughter, who became pregnant for the first time at age 11, federal authorities said. For more than a decade, he moved the family to different cities to escape child social workers.
A 63-year-old Idaho man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for repeatedly raping his girlfriend's daughter, beginning when she was 8 or 9, authorities said. The girl became pregnant at age 11, and again at age 12.
Chris Hamburg was sentenced Wednesday in Idaho federal court by U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, who also ordered Hamburg to three years of supervised release.
“I would have a hard time coming up with a case that is more horrific than this one," the judge told Hamburg during his sentencing hearing.
Hamburg had pleaded guilty to two counts of transporting a child across state lines with intent to commit sexual assault, federal authorities said.
“In this case, the defendant raped and sexually abused a child for over a decade. What he did to the victim is inhuman,” said Idaho U.S. Attorney Hurwit in a statement Wednesday. “The strength that the victim showed in reporting this abuse, however, shows the amazing resiliency of the human spirit."
The abuse began in 1990, when Hamburg began dating the victim's mother, authorities said. He soon began raping her daughter and by the age of 13, she had given birth to two sons.
Hamburg moved the family to various cities to evade children's services workers, while continuing to abuse the girl, authorities said. The rapes continued until she was in her 20s, when she was able to escape.
The survivor has said Hamburg physically and sexually abused her, her mother and beat her brother. Hamburg kept them locked inside their various homes, and threatened to kill her if she told her mother, the survivor told reporters after she escaped.
She came forward in 2021 and reported the abuse to the FBI and the Boise Police Department, federal authorities said.
The survivor and her brother used social media to locate Hamburg, posting his photos online and asking for tips to his location. Last year, he was finally arrested in Montana and transported to Idaho.
“Our detectives spent a year and a half seeking justice for the victim in this horrific crime," said Boise Police Lieutenant Terry Weir in a statement. "We feel it’s important to commend her for her bravery in coming forward and for her participation in this process."
The survivor testified against her abuser Wednesday during his sentencing hearing.
“You stole every bit of peace and contentment from my childhood, from my entire life," she told him in court. "My struggles continue daily."
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