GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former seasonal employee at John Ball Zoo is facing charges after allegedly taking photos up guests' skirts at the zoo, including a child's.
According to court documents, Steven Pook is facing one count of child sexually abusive activity, two counts of capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
Peter D'Arienzo, CEO of John Ball Zoo, said zoo officials first received reports of Pook taking the photos on June 21. He was removed from the zoo and the Grand Rapids Police Department was called to investigate.
Two witnesses told police that Pook stood next to two women with a dustpan under their skirts, according to court documents. One of the women later told police that Pook was standing close enough that she could feel his presence.
One of the witnesses saw that Pook had a phone that was recording inside the dustpan. They reported him to zoo security.
When police arrived, Pook denied the claims. His phone was seized after a search warrant was granted, and police found eight videos dated between June 17 and June 21 that showed Pook stalking women and recording up their skirts.
In one instance, Pook had been in the reptile exhibit when he saw a young girl about 10 to 12 years old in a sundress, according to police. He then asked her if she could find all the animals in the exhibit and she bent over to look. Court documents say he recorded underneath her skirt for about 14 seconds before walking away.
Pook was fired from the zoo and banned from the property. He was arrested on Aug. 19.
D'Arienzo said an internal investigation is now underway.
"At John Ball Zoo, we hold all our staff to the highest standards for professional and ethical conduct as part of our mission to ensure our guests and their families have a safe, enjoyable and educational experience at John Ball Zoo," D'Arienzo said in a statement. "We conduct thorough background checks of every employee and volunteer and take any allegations of misconduct seriously. Any allegations of inappropriate or illegal conduct will be thoroughly investigated consistent with our safety protocols and procedures.”
Pook is scheduled to appear for a probable cause hearing on Sept. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
