SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake City Fire Department captain is now facing more charges after additional women came forward to investigators detailing how he allegedly abused them.
Christopher David Burk now faces up to 13 counts of sexual abuse.
FOX 13 News first reported Burk's arrest and possible charges when he was arrested in January. Burk before his arrest was a captain for the SLCFD and an EMT class instructor at Salt Lake Community College. Court documents also stated that Burk was also an employee of a local juvenile detention facility.
Crime
SLC fire captain, EMT instructor charged with sexual abuse of 2 students
According to the charges, Burk inappropriately touched two different victims who were in his class. Much of the alleged abuse took place outside of class — including asking one to stay after class for one-on-one instruction and inviting the other on a ride-along. The victims said Burk would grope them while claiming he was demonstrating techniques. They said he also asked them to touch him in order to show the location of the femoral artery (which is in the groin area).
But newly updated charges were filed last Thursday against Burk. In the new court documents, investigators share that additional victims came forward to report Burk had sexually assaulted them.
The new victim statements also describe Burk using class demonstrations to have unwanted contact with victims. In one report, the victim stated that Burk was leading a CPR-AED class at the victim's workplace when she was used for the demonstration of the Heimlich maneuver. The victim told detectives that Burk pressed his groin against her during the interaction.
Another victim also reported that Burk had told her to stay after class to review assessments of patients. During the interaction, the victim stated that Burk used the palms of his hands to touch her. Training dictates, according to court documents, that people should use the backs of their hands during assessments.
Burk is being held in the Davis County Jail. The Salt Lake County DA's office is the prosecuting agency.
