Daycare worker accused of the unthinkable: Sexual assault of up to 30 victims, some as young as 3.

OTTAWA COUNTY — Court documents detail allegations of heart-wrenching, unthinkable sexual abuse of young children — even toddlers — at the hands of an Ottawa County daycare worker who is facing additional charges since he was first arrested.

Austin Michael Hapner appeared in an Ottawa County courtroom last week for his arraignment, where District Judge Judith K. Mulder formally detailed a 23-count felony case against the 20-year-old former childcare worker.

The Oct. 13 hearing in Hudsonville marked the opening of local proceedings against Hapner, whose case has expanded across West Michigan as investigators trace a trail of alleged child sexual abuse and illicit photography.

Court records show the Ottawa County charges stem from alleged illegal activity occurring June 1 at the Children’s Enrichment Center on Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus. County prosecutors authorized a criminal complaint Sept. 23, and court officials issued an arrest warrant Sept. 24 that was entered into the Law Enforcement Information Network the following day.

During the proceeding before Mulder, Hapner was advised of his rights and assigned legal representation through the Ottawa County Public Defender’s Office. His attorney immediately entered a demand for a preliminary examination on all 23 counts.

The local charges carry severe potential penalties:

• Four counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity.
• Four counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material.
• 12 counts of capturing or distributing images of an unclothed person.
• Three separate counts of using a computer to commit a crime, including one count that carries up to life in prison, another with a 10-to-20-year penalty, and a third with a four-to-10-year penalty.

Following the Oct. 13 arraignment, Mulder issued a pretrial release order strictly prohibiting Hapner from using alcohol or controlled substances. She also entered an order for routine fingerprinting, which formally canceled the active arrest warrant from the state police law enforcement network.

The Ottawa County filings represent only part of the state's case.

During a court appearance Thursday in Grand Rapids, prosecutors added five more counts in neighboring Kent County, bringing his charges there to 44. 

Across both jurisdictions, Hapner now faces 67 felony counts.

Kent County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth Bartlett said Thursday that the additional charges reflect investigators working through a volume of evidence to ensure every victim is accounted for across both sexual conduct and abusive material offenses.

Authorities allege the offenses occurred at two separate childcare facilities — the GVSU center in Allendale and Gro Childcare Academy in Grand Rapids — as well as inside a private home where Hapner worked as a babysitter.

The investigation began Sept. 1 after Norwegian law enforcement alerted federal authorities to online chats where Hapner allegedly discussed and displayed child sexual abuse. 

According to court documents, Hapner admitted to investigators after his arrest that he abused multiple children and provided their names. Police have identified between 20 and 30 victims, some as young as 3 years old.

While Hapner waived his preliminary hearing on the Kent County charges Thursday — sending those 44 counts to circuit court for trial preparation — the Ottawa County case remains open in district court.

Hapner is next scheduled to appear in 58th District Court before Judge Mulder at 9:15 a.m. Oct. 27 for a probable cause conference. A preliminary examination is set for 9 a.m. on Nov. 3.

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.