GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A former seasonal worker at John Ball Zoo has been sentenced to jail after being accused of taking up-skirt photos of visitors, including a minor.
Steve Pook, 69, will serve 180 days in jail and three years' probation after pleading guilty to using a computer to commit a crime and two counts of capturing or distributing an image of an unclothed person.
Pook was arrested last year after two women complained to the zoo after noticing him getting too close.
In court on Thursday, Pook had this to say about his actions.
"Only the depth of my sorrow over what I did is beyond what I can describe. I do have a good support system in both my wife and my counsel. I do plan to try and rebuild my credibility with the community and the lifelong volunteering that I've done," Pook said.
In June of 2024, Pook was working at John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids as a part-time employee when a group told detectives they noticed him putting his phone in his dust pan and positioning it under women's skirts.
Officers responded to the zoo, interviewed Pook and seized his phone. According to court documents, police found eight videos where women were recorded without their knowledge. One of the videos included a young girl.
"This sort of activity really destroys lives, and the women, in one case, a minor, who were the victims of your activity here are going to deal with this for the rest of their lives," Judge Clay West said.
Pook was fired from the zoo and later criminally charged. In addition to jail time and probation, he must register as a sex offender.
"We really can't underestimate the negative impact and how this harms those young lives," West said.
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