SALT LAKE CITY—A fire captain and EMT instructor in Salt Lake City faces charges for sexual abuse involving two students. Christopher David Burk, a captain with the Salt Lake City Fire Department, was charged with second-degree felony forcible sex abuse and third-degree felony attempted forcible sexual abuse according to ABC4. Burk allegedly abused his position while teaching at a Salt Lake County community college.
Details from a probable cause statement revealed that two separate students reported instances of abuse, the first report was filed in October 2024 claimed by a woman who was attending an EMT class, Burk was her instructor and the alleged perpetrator, as reported by KUTV she experienced inappropriate touching. Officers with the Sandy City Police Department took Burk into custody, while inquiries into his conduct deepened.
Further investigations by officials involved in the EMT program contradicted Burk's actions with policy, confirming that the assessments he was performing were not part of the established curriculum and it's stated "that it would be against the program policy to touch students under clothing," also noting "it's against policy to conduct one-on-one instruction," and "against policy to offer teaching services outside of the classroom," based on information from the charging documents obtained by KSL.
Victims expressed fear of retaliation from Burk because of his position of power within the fire department, with concerns that he could influence their futures, one of the victims was so traumatized by the assault that she dropped out of the program, giving up on her aspirations, as per alarming details from prosecutors in the filed charges. A disconcerting element that emerged is Burk allegedly evading police contact, creating an additional layer of concern in an already disturbing case engulfed with power dynamics and betrayal of trust.
