Former Salt Lake City fire captain convicted on nine sexual abuse counts

Trigger warning: This story contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse.  SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake County jury found former Salt Lake City firefighter, fire captain and EMT instructor Christopher David Burk guilty on nine felony counts Friday. This came after reviewing a case built primarily on witness statements and police‑investigative summaries detailed in court records. Five additional charges resulted in not‑guilty verdicts, and one had been dismissed earlier.   The verdict came after two days of deliberation. Ten of Burk’s family members attended the decision, along with several women who reported the assaults.

Allegations documented across multiple training settings 

According to court documents, allegations against Burk spanned EMT classrooms, skill labs, CPR training sessions and ride‑alongs conducted while he served as a fire captain. The sworn statements included in those filings describe a recurring pattern: Burk allegedly used his authority as an instructor and fire officer to steer students into one‑on‑one settings where he initiated inappropriate touching.   Seven women testified that Burk sexually assaulted them. Two of the women were employees of KSL’s parent company, Bonneville International, at the time of the alleged assaults. Court documents state that multiple women reported breast touching during rib and sternum assessments, genital contact framed as femoral‑artery demonstrations and instances during CPR or Heimlich instruction when Burk allegedly pressed his body against theirs. Several accounts describe Burk isolating students in empty classrooms, corners of fire stations and private areas during ride‑alongs. According to the filings, many students initially believed the procedures were part of sanctioned instruction until the touching escalated beyond anything covered in their training materials.  Program staff interviewed in the investigation, according to the charging documents, told police that several of the so‑called techniques Burk demonstrated such as hands‑on pelvic exams, femoral‑pulse checks performed on students and chest assessments involving direct breast contact violated EMT curriculum and were not authorized under training policy. 

Prosecution: This was not training… it was abuse 

During opening statements, prosecutors said the case was about “authority, misuse of authority and breach of trust,” describing Burk as someone who used his position as both EMT instructor and fire captain to gain control over training environments.   According to court documents, prosecutors further argued that the professional power imbalance and the fact that Burk controlled evaluations, recommendations and ride‑along opportunities made students hesitant to report him. 

Defense: Physical contact was part of EMT instruction 

The defense argued, according to trial filings, that the contact described was consistent with hands‑on emergency‑medical training, and that prosecutors had not proven Burk acted with sexual intent. The defense emphasized the absence of sexual comments or threats in the documented testimony and pointed out that several students continued taking classes or participating in ride‑alongs after the alleged conduct.  

Jury questions highlighted case complexity

During deliberations, jurors submitted written questions asking whether the parenthetical notes in the jury instructions were binding and whether earlier‑hearing testimony could be considered. Judge James Blanch instructed jurors to rely solely on the legal elements of each charge and the evidence presented.  

The verdict and what comes next 

According to the court docket, jurors convicted Burk on nine felony counts, including forcible sexual abuse and attempted forcible sexual abuse. Eight of those convictions carry potential sentences of up to 15 years each, with another carrying up to five years. He remains in custody pending sentencing on April 14.   Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you. 

If you have experienced sexual violence, you can access help and resources by callingUtah’s 24-hour Sexual Violence Help Lineat 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call theRape Recovery Center office lineduring office hoursat 801-467-7282 or theNational Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling.

This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL's editorial standards are upheld.

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