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PCC driving instructor sentenced to 6 months for sex crimes

A former driving instructor at Portland Community College pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of third-degree sex abuse.
Credit: Washington County Sheriff
Paul Douglas Burdick

HILLSBORO, Ore — A driving instructor at Portland Community College has pleaded guilty to six misdemeanor counts of third-degree sex abuse.

Paul Douglas Burdick was sentenced to six months in the Washington County Jail and five years of probation with sex offender treatment.

Burdick was employed as a driving instructor through PCC. In 2016, two teenage girls reported to their parents that the defendant touched them inappropriately during driver's education classes. The Washington County Sheriff's Office investigated the allegations but the evidence available in 2016 was not sufficient to proceed with criminal charges at that time.

In September 2019, police say another driving student came forward with similar allegations of misconduct committed by the defendant during driving lessons.

Detectives with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office began investigating once again and obtained a warrant giving them access to a list of the defendant's prior students. Investigators then contacted those students to see if they had anything concerning to report. More than a dozen students responded, all with similar allegations of inappropriate contact.

These new allegations allowed the Washington County District Attorney's Office to move forward with formal charges against the defendant, ultimately leading to his conviction on the above charges.

The Washington County District Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the victims for coming forward.

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