Montessori employee charged with sexual assault charges stemming from home incident

SPRING LAKE — A 38-year-old Spring Lake man who served as an administrator at a local Montessori school is being held without bond after being charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, authorities said Tuesday, March 10.

The suspect, Charles Martin Freeman, was arraigned via video in 58th District Court before Judge Craig Bunce following an investigation that began earlier this week.

At the time of his arrest, Freeman was employed as the dean of students at Walden Green Montessori School in Ferrysburg. Capt. Jake Sparks of the Sheriff’s Office said detectives have remained in "close communication" with school officials.

"At this time, we are not aware of any sexual misconduct occurring at the school," Sparks said in a statement.

Montessori officials said Freeman started working at Walden Green in September 2018.

A statement released from the school confirmed that the incident occurred at Freeman’s residence.

“Walden Green Montessori confirms that charges filed … against former Dean of Students Charles Freeman relate to an incident that occurred in his home and not at the school. Law enforcement has communicated that there is no indication that any incidents occurred at Walden Green Montessori or that any other students were involved,” the statement said.

“Mr. Freeman is no longer employed at Walden Green Montessori. He resigned from his position prior to the school learning that criminal charges were filed. Student safety is our highest priority, and we took prompt and appropriate steps as information became available,” said Mark Roessing, Walden Green’s school director.

Students are being provided with counseling services, officials said.

“While this incident did not occur at our school, we understand that news like this is unsettling for families,” said Kori Bissot, Walden Green board president.

“Our priority is maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment and ensuring families have access to accurate information and support resources. Trauma-informed counselors will be available to support students, our school social worker is providing guidance and support to staff, and community resources have been shared with the parent community.”

The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office began the investigation on March 8 after receiving allegations of sexual abuse that were said to occur in 2025. 

Detectives quickly had enough evidence of the alleged assault to bring it to the Ottawa County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Monday. A warrant was then issued, and Freeman was taken into custody and lodged at the Ottawa County Jail that same day.

Investigators identified the victim as a female juvenile and said the location of the incident was listed as Spring Lake Township.

A disturbing rise in child sexual assault cases

Over the past 12 months in Ottawa County, there appeared to be an uptick in child sexual assault arrests:

• In a separate regional case, 28-year-old military recruiter, Nicholas Phelps, of Norton Shores was arrested on Jan. 9 following an investigation into inappropriate contact with teenage students. Charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct (victims aged 13-15), Phelps allegedly used his professional role to initiate contact and messaging with female students across multiple Ottawa County schools. The investigation began in August, though military superiors reportedly flagged Phelps as early as May. He was subsequently removed from his recruiting duties and issued a no-contact order. Phelps faces up to 15 years in prison and a lifetime on the sex offender registry if convicted.
• In another incident reported in January, Noah DeHollander, a 24-year-old former West Ottawa Middle School teacher, was sentenced to 16-24 months in prison after pleading no contest to three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, according to court records. DeHollander was accused of inappropriately touching three 12-year-old boys who were students at the school between January and September 2024, according to the Grand Haven Tribune.

In addition, a federal case, prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, resulted in one of the most significant sentences for child exploitation in West Michigan in recent years. In August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan handed down a 25-year federal prison sentence to 25-year-old Darian Howard, of Holland.

The sentencing concluded a harrowing multi-agency investigation into the sexual exploitation and assault of toddlers, a case that officials described as among the most troubling they have prosecuted.

The investigation began in November 2024 after a mother contacted 911 upon discovering sexually explicit photographs Howard had taken of her 3-year-old daughter. A subsequent forensic analysis conducted by the FBI and local police uncovered explicit images of two separate 3-year-old girls, including a video recording that depicted Howard sexually assaulting one of the victims.

Howard originally faced three counts of sexual exploitation of a child, but ultimately entered a guilty plea to one count in May 2025 as part of a plea deal. The conviction was the result of a coordinated effort between the Holland Department of Public Safety, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Grand Rapids Resident Agency through the West Michigan-based Child Exploitation Task Force.

U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey and local law enforcement leaders emphasized that the lengthy sentence reflects the extreme vulnerability of the victims and the disturbing nature of the crimes. Officials noted that these federal partnerships remain essential for holding predators accountable and securing justice for the community’s most vulnerable members.

The Freeman case remains under active investigation. Authorities are asking anyone with relevant information to contact the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office or provide an anonymous tip through Silent Observer at 877-88-SILENT or via their website.

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