COUNTY OF KENT— According to an affidavit filed in 63rd District Court, Mark Dykema, the former president of Tulip Time, told investigators that his addiction to pornography led him to record videos of unsuspecting women in two West Michigan counties, according to reports from WOOD TV-8.

Dykema, 39, was charged Friday in Kent County, where he is accused of attempting to film videos under women’s clothing. In Ottawa County, he was arraigned Sept. 18 in 58th District Court before Judge Juanita Bocanegra. His bond was set at $10,000 and posted.

An Ottawa County jury trial was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18, before 20th Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing after a preliminary hearing was waived.

“He said he had been struggling with an addiction to pornography for years,” a Kent County detective wrote in a probable cause document, according to WOOD. “He stated that he has apps on his devices that block all porn sites and the apps send a daily report to his wife for monitoring. Therefore, Dykema said he started creating pornography because he could not access pornographic websites.”

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Kent County and Ottawa County are conducting a joint investigation after Dykema himself suggested he improperly registered women at Trader Joe’s on 28th Street in Kentwood in August, Grand Rapids First Church on 44th Street in Wyoming in 2022, a residence in Lowell Township and Lowe’s on Felch Street in Holland Township in August 2024, according to additional reporting from WOOD.

In both counties, Dykema faces five counts of using a computer to commit a crime, six counts of surveillance of a naked person and one count of capturing, distributing an image of a naked person. The charges carry up to four years in prison.

Dykema previously owned several Biggby’s coffees, including locations in Holland Township, Zeeland and the Haworth Hotel. According to attorney Rob Howard, Dykema has since “relinquished” his ownership in the stores.

According to WOOD, Howard said Dykema’s actions were not work-related and there were no allegations of wrongdoing at either store.

Gwen Auwerda, executive director of Tulip Time, told WOOD that Dykema resigned from the board in August, a month before the charges were filed.

Howard said Dykema is cooperating with investigators.

“We are working through the process and hope to resolve this as soon as possible,” Howard told WOOD.

According to the Kent County affidavit, Dykema told Ottawa County detectives that he was trying to record under a woman’s dress at Lowe’s for “sexual gratification.”

After his initial interview, Dykema reportedly sent the detective a four-page email confessing to his actions. The Sentinel filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the email, but it was denied, citing the ongoing investigation and legal process.

“(He) admitted to making additional recordings on a lady’s dress at church,” investigators wrote. “(Dykema) said neither his wife nor anyone else knew he made videos of women’s dresses, skirts and shorts.”

Dykema’s phone was seized by Ottawa County for examination through a search warrant. He remains free on bail pending the resolution of the cases in both counties.

Howard told WOOD there was no discussion of a plea deal. Meanwhile, detectives continue to try to identify additional victims.

Anyone with information is asked to call Silent Observer at 616-774-2345, the Kent County Sheriff’s Office at 616-632-6125 or the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at 616-738-4003.

— Cassidey Kavathas is a political and judicial reporter for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @cassideykava.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Additional charges filed against businessman Mark Dykema in Kent County