OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — A fire captain in Allegan County is facing multiple criminal sexual conduct charges following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Todd Achterhof, 49, of Park Township is facing six charges in relation to child pornography:
- One count of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material
- One count of distributing or promoting child sexually abusive activity
- Two counts of possession of child sexually abusive material
- Two counts of using a computer to commit a crime
Ottawa County Sheriff's Office detectives became involved in the case in May 2024 after being notified of an ongoing investigation by the FBI's West Michigan Based Child Exploitation Task Force.
The alleged abuse happened over about a year period, court documents claim. Achterhof was allegedly grooming a family member over that time period, eventually assaulting them.
Reports of his alleged activity were discovered by an undercover FBI agent using an online forum. Achterhof allegedly contacted the undercover agent and described the types of abuse he was doing to his family member.
Over the course of several days and several different threads, Achterhof allegedly sent the undercover agent pictures and videos of child pornography.
The FBI later requested a search warrant for Achterhof's person and premises.
The FBI discovered "15 child sexually abusive material videos which included children as young as infants" on Achterhof's phone through a search warrant, a transcript of court proceedings details.
Achterhof was arrested at his Park Township home on Wednesday, July 31 and arraigned on Thursday, Aug. 1. The judge set bond at $75,000 cash surety.
Actherhof is listed as a fire captain, EMT and PEM for the Graafschap Fire Department in Holland on LinkedIn. He was also previously a campus dispatcher at Hope College.
Hope College officials released a statement Thursday afternoon:
"Having learned of the federal search warrant, Hope College immediately conducted a thorough internal investigation. The investigation did not find any activity on campus or involving college resources related to the charges. The individual is no longer employed by Hope College."
This incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office or Silent Observer at 1-877-88 SILENT (745368) or mosotips.com.