A former fire captain and EMT instructor in Utah is set to face trial on 15 felony charges related to sexual abuse after multiple victims testified against him during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
Christopher David Burk, 46, was originally charged with six counts, but additional allegations surfaced after five more individuals came forward following his arrest. He now faces 14 counts of forcible sexual abuse and one count of attempted forcible sexual abuse. A judge dismissed an additional attempted forcible sexual abuse charge at the conclusion of the hearing.
Burk, who worked as an EMT instructor at various locations, including Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and Utah Valley University (UVU), was taken into custody after two students reported him to authorities. During the hearing, seven women testified about inappropriate conduct they endured while attending his classes.
Several victims described being asked to stay after class or go on “ride-alongs” with the fire department, during which Burk allegedly performed “medical assessments” that involved inappropriate touching. One woman recalled him unbuttoning her shirt during an assessment, while another said he lifted her shirt and touched her inappropriately.
Another student testified that Burk touched her under her clothing on multiple occasions while pretending to help her with class material. She described feeling afraid and wanting to escape safely, noting that one incident took place late at night in an empty building.
A coordinator for SLCC’s EMT program testified that instructors should only perform medical demonstrations on fellow instructors rather than students. She emphasized that proper procedures involve using the back of the hand to avoid discomfort for patients, and that there is no legitimate scenario where an instructor should touch a student’s breasts.
Authorities had difficulty locating Burk for nearly two months before taking him into custody using unmarked vehicles. During questioning, he denied touching students beneath their clothing.
SLCC issued a statement clarifying that the school was unaware of any prior allegations against Burk. The college said it placed him on administrative leave immediately after receiving a student complaint in November 2024 and terminated his employment upon learning of his arrest in January 2025.
Burk’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 15, when a trial date will be set.
All individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law .
