Former John Ball Zoo employee accused of taking explicit images of visitors

A man who worked as a seasonal staff member at John Ball Zoo face criminal charges after police say he took pictures of visitors, including some up the skirts of women.

Steve Pook is charged with two counts of using a computer to commit a crime and two counts of capturing/distributing image of an unclothed person.

The first complaint against Pook came on June 21, when the zoo received complaints about Pook taking photographs of visitors without their consent. The zoo removed him and alerted Grand Rapids police.

Detectives spoke with two women who Pook allegedly took videos of. The women and others from their group claimed the man from Belmont put his cell phone on his dust pan, using it to position the camera lens under the women's skirts.

The women described how they could feel Pook's presence because he stood so close.

Neither felt the dustpan nor spotted the phone with an active video recording.

Officers who responded to the zoo interviewed Pook. After seizing his phone through a search warrant, police found eight videos where women were recorded without their knowledge, including the two from June 21. In at least one of the videos, Pook could be seen adjusting the camera angle.

Another of the videos involved a pre-teen girl, likely visiting the zoo with her family.

Pook worked as a seasonal worker at the zoo. An internal investigation let to Pook's firing the same day as the complaints were filed. He's also been banned from the property.

Nearly two months later, Grand Rapids police arrested Pook.

"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," said John Ball Zoo CEO Peter D'Arienzo. "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.”

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