Austin Hapner

Introduction

Austin Hapner is a 20-year-old former daycare worker from Grand Rapids, Michigan. On September 17, 2026, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker filed 19 additional criminal charges against him in a case involving the alleged sexual abuse of more than 20 children at two West Michigan childcare centers and at babysitting jobs arranged through a caregiving website. The case drew sustained local coverage because Hapner’s jobs placed him in daily contact with young children, and because the investigation began with a referral from law enforcement in Norway. The charges are accusations. Hapner has not been tried on any of them, and he is presumed innocent.

Background Information

According to WWMT, Hapner worked at two daycare facilities: Gro Childcare Academy in Grand Rapids and the Children’s Enrichment Center at Grand Valley State University’s Allendale Campus. Investigators said he left Gro Childcare Academy and immediately began working at the GVSU center in June, the same month in which they said he admitted to creating child pornography, according to documents.

An affidavit filed September 17 also accused Hapner of abusing children in three Grand Rapids homes while working as a babysitter. According to the affidavit, he was hired for that work through care.com.

Before the September filing, Hapner was already facing charges including aggravated child sexually abusive activity, using a computer to commit a crime, and animal-related sexual abuse.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from Kent County prosecutors, a sworn affidavit, court records, and local news reporting on the criminal case against Austin Hapner. The conduct described has been charged but not tried. Hapner has never admitted to any of it, no count has been adjudicated, and no court has found any of it true. As Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said, “At this time, he is presumed innocent of all charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.”

Per WWMT, the investigation into Hapner began August 31, after Norwegian law enforcement sent the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) more than 40 photos and videos, as well as a chat log from the messaging app Signal. In chats spanning September to November 2025, a user operating under the alias “Toya,” identified in documents as Hapner, talked about having sex with children and shared child sexually abusive material. He described himself as a “pedo” teacher, said he had “more opportunities than expected” at his daycare, and told members of a group chat that he had been saving “CP,” a common abbreviation for child pornography, videos all day. The court documents stated: “Hapner further discusses, in explicit, articulate and calculated detail, how he selects his victims, his past troubles with law enforcement involving sexual assault, and his future plans to sexually exploit children to include future ones of his own which he and his partner plan to adopt.”

HSI coordinated with the Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Grand Rapids Office and identified Hapner as a person of interest. Investigators said that as Hapner was interviewed, officers searched his Grand Rapids home and seized two phones, several USB drives, and computers. Investigators said Hapner had hundreds of child-related photos and videos in his possession, including torture material.

On Thursday, September 17, Becker’s office issued the 19 new counts: nine counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, punishable by 25 years to life in prison; eight counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, punishable by 15 years in prison; one count of aggravated indecent exposure, punishable by two years in prison; and one count of sexually delinquent person, punishable by one day to life in prison. FOX 17 reported that the 20-year-old now faces a total of 39 charges. In Kent County, Becker said Hapner’s alleged victims include at least thirteen children.

Public Reaction and Consequences

The case has been covered as part of a multi-agency investigation into child sex crimes in West Michigan. Announcing the earlier charges on September 4, Becker said Sept. 4: “These are very serious charges that carry very serious prison terms given the nature,” adding: “So, law enforcement is out there and doing everything they can to hold people accountable when they engage in this sort of despicable behavior.”

Hapner’s alleged statements to investigators, as described in court records reported by WWMT, became part of the public account of the case. He told investigators he deleted child sexually abusive material on “numerous occasions” but “continued to be pulled back into his obsession.” Court records stated: “The urge was so strong that Hapner went to work each day with the goal not to create child sexually abusive material and touching the kids but takes the opportunity when available.”

Current Status

FOX 17 reported that Hapner is expected to be arraigned on the new charges on Friday, September 18. Becker said, “We do not have any information on when he will be arraigned on these new additional charges.” Hapner is scheduled to return to court for a probable cause hearing on September 22, according to documents from Grand Rapids’ 61st District Court. Ottawa County, where the GVSU children’s center is located, is expected to file its own case against him; allegations of crimes on that premises are being separately investigated. He is also to be tried for allegedly engaging in sodomy with a dog and using a computer in that crime. If convicted, he could spend life in prison.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Hapner’s childcare career is over. Local coverage now describes him as a former daycare worker, and he is no longer employed at either Gro Childcare Academy or the Children’s Enrichment Center. The charges he faces carry severe potential penalties: 25 years to life for each first-degree criminal sexual conduct count, 15 years for each second-degree count, two years for aggravated indecent exposure, and one day to life as a sexually delinquent person. His home was searched, his devices were seized, and both a Kent County case and an expected Ottawa County case now hang over him. Whatever the outcome at trial, the accusations alone have permanently ended his work with children and made his name a public byword for the case in West Michigan news.