News

Actions

Local charges dismissed in favor of federal case for former rowing coach

Posted at 12:16 PM, Jul 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-29 18:06:21-04

GRAND RAPIDS TWP., Mich. - In a move that came as a bit of a surprise to the courtroom Friday morning, though protocol: 63rd District Court Judge Sara Smolenski announced that all five Kent County charges against Timothy Vallier, 30, had been dismissed, making way for the federal case against him to proceed.

Vallier is the former rowing coach for Rockford High School. He was arrested earlier this month after a student discovered a camera that had recorded video inside a changing room in the Rockford Crew House in Plainfield Township.  Vallier admitted to police he placed a video camcorder in a position in a changing room at the Rockford Crew House to record female athletes changing, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 17 earlier this month.

The federal charges allege that Vallier had installed cameras in the girls' changing room at Rockford High School, as well as in the Crew House.  Vallier is charged with possession and attempted production of child porn, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

According to court documents, investigators said Vallier organized videos he recorded into files labeled with at least 15 different girls’ first names.  There was also an additional folder titled “to be sorted.”

Police say there may be more victims.