Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Chris Burk, a former Salt Lake fire captain, faces additional sexual abuse charges.
- Additional alleged victims came forward after media coverage, totaling six, including a 17-year-old girl.
SALT LAKE CITY — A former captain with the Salt Lake City Fire Department made his first court appearance Friday on charges of sexual abuse, where he learned prosecutors have amended the charges to add additional victims.
Chris Burk faces two counts of attempted forcible sexual abuse and 11 counts of forcible sexual abuse. Initially accused by two women, the prosecution said more victims came forward after learning about his arrest from the media. In total, six people have come forward, including a 17-year-old girl.
"Knowing you taught many courses makes the hairs on my arm stand up," the teenage girl wrote in a letter read in court by the prosecutor. "I once considered even asking for a letter of recommendation from you. I thought it was safe to be around you. I should be focusing on school and family and not this. You have kids, Mr. Burke."
Burk taught EMT and CPR classes. The allegations span various locations, including Salt Lake Community College and Canyons Technical Education Center, where investigators said Burk exploited his position of authority and trust as an instructor and fire captain.
The victims reported assaults during classroom demonstrations, after classes, and even during ride-alongs with the Salt Lake City Fire Department. Burk allegedly framed these assaults as part of their training, calling them assessments.
Almost all the victims said they were afraid to report the incidents because Burk had many connections. One victim pointed out that he texted her even though she never gave him her number.
"There may be more victims to come forward, but they are still hesitant for the same reason that he has personal contact information and may retaliate against them," said prosecutor Eduardo Cervantes-Esparza.
Cervantes-Esparza highlighted several leadership positions that Burk held, including working for the Salt Lake City Fire Department for 18 years, which gave him a position of power over his victims. He also stated Burk's connections made many of the victims afraid to come forward initially.
Burk's defense attorney, Bradley Schmidt, argued that Burk is a leader in the community with no prior criminal history and should be granted bail.
"Your honor, I've not been in many cases where I've heard positive things for an individual tried to be used by the state as a negative against them," Schmidt argued. "These were EMT assessments, your honor, which are hands-on assessments. Whether somebody misconstrued something or is blowing something out of proportion, those are things that will play out at trial."
However, the judge decided the risk was not worth it, given the seriousness of the crime and the number of people who have come forward.
"I sometimes hear an argument to the effect that there's no evidence to support this. But evidence is what people say," said 3rd District Judge James T. Blanch.
An employee at KSL has also complained to authorities about a CPR training with Burk.
KSL confirmed Friday that Burk has been fired from the Salt Lake City Fire Department, Salt Lake Community College, and Canyons Technical Education Center. The prosecutor also said Burk's EMT license was taken away.
Canyons School District told KSL that "as of Feb. 4, Mr. Burk's employment as an hourly employee was terminated. To be clear, Mr. Burk was not a teacher at CTEC. He was asked to provide assistance on an ad hoc basis when instructors needed additional personnel to proctor skills tests."
And in a statement, the Salt Lake City Fire Department said the department "was first notified by law enforcement of the accusations and arrest of Chris Burk on the morning of January 29, 2025. In response, the individual was immediately placed on Administrative Leave while the department fully cooperated with law enforcement during their investigation. Due to the severity of the charges, SLCFD promptly moved to terminate Chris Burk's employment."
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 calling Utah's 24-hour Sexual Violence Help Line at 1-801-736-4356 (English) or 1-801-924-0860 (Spanish). You can also call the Rape Recovery Center office line during office hours at 801-467-7282 or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for free, confidential counseling.
