A former Holland lead pastor is facing six felony charges after being accused of secretly recording a family member with a hidden camera, according to reporting by WZZM 13.
Court records show Joshua Peter VanderKlok, the former co-lead pastor at Res Life Church Holland, is charged with three counts of surveilling an unclothed person and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime. His bond was set for $1,000 and he has posted bond.
According to court records obtained by WZZM, the investigation began in May when a family member discovered a small black camera hidden beneath a bed.
The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant and conducted a forensic examination of the camera’s SD card. The camera allegedly was positioned toward the doorway of a private bathroom and contained images of the victim unclothed on multiple occasions.
According to reporting by WZZM, a detective testified at a June 10 probable cause hearing that VanderKlok admitted to placing the camera to surveil the family member because it gave him a “connection” to the victim.
VanderKolk, 48, is no longer serving as a co-lead pastor at Res Life.
“At present the board is prayfully seeking a new pastor,” a statement on the church’s website reads.
VanderKolk is scheduled for a preliminary examination in Ottawa County’s 58th District Court on July 7.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Former Holland pastor charged with 6 felonies related to hidden camera
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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By Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
