Teacher gets up to 30 years for abuse in Tooele

TOOELE — The mother of an elementary school student molested by his teacher said she knew her son would never be the same again as she stood over him as he vomited in a court bathroom before testifying against the educator during a preliminary hearing.

She was just one of several angry and grieving parents who spoke during a sentencing hearing Friday for 26-year-old Christopher Burton.

Burton is accused of fondling eight students in his classroom on various occasions between Aug. 21, 2006, and March 30, 2007. In pleading guilty last August as part of a plea agreement, Burton admitted to having the students sit on his lap during class and, while other students were distracted with activities, placing his hands in the boys' pants pockets and fondling them. In exchange for his plea, prosecutors reduced eight counts of first-degree-felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child to second-degree felonies.

"You're a boil on society," one father told Burton in court, adding there was no worse crime committed than one against a child.

Several parents said their children are ridiculed and teased by other kids in school who know they were victimized, being called names like "Mr. Burton's favorite lap puppy" and "gay."

One father, shaking with anger, said his elementary-aged son has wondered about his sexuality over this. "I hate you," the man said, glaring at Burton, who sat in chains and a jail jumpsuit and listened.

Noticing her son's unexplained anger, one mother said she went to Burton, who said her son's change was due to family problems.

"If I had only known what you were doing to my baby," another mother sobbed.

Tooele County Attorney Douglas Hogan said parents, including himself, send their kids off with a kiss, saying "be a good boy and listen to your teacher." These parents had no idea what they were sending their kids off to. "This is every parent's worst nightmare," Hogan said.

Burton's defense attorney, Tara Isaacson, said her client was dedicated to teaching. "His identity as a teacher has been a huge part of his life," she said. Isaacson said her client has struggled to come to terms with his pedophilia and that he "violated the trust of his students."

In court, Burton apologized to the parents, saying, "I was once a great teacher." A tattoo of a red apple could clearly be seen on his forearm with the words "Mr. B."

"I am truly sorry. If you can find it in your hearts to believe me, I'm sorry," Burton said.