Candidate for Kent County commission accused of sex act in public park

KENT COUNTY, MI – A candidate for Kent County Board of Commissioners has been arrested for allegedly having sex with another man in the woods at a Wyoming park.

David Lee Boelkes, 30, CEO and owner of Barking Boutique, is charged with committing/procuring gross indecency at Buck Creek Nature Preserve.

He is scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, July 10, in Wyoming District Court on the felony charge. It carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction. Boelkes did not return messages seeking comment.

His attorney, Pavol Fabian, declined to comment on the allegations. He said he wanted to review evidence that police will rely on before commenting.

Boelkes is seeking the Republican nomination for District 20 in the upcoming primary election to represent the northern part of Wyoming and adjacent Grand Rapids neighborhoods.

He faces Derek Anderson in the Aug. 6 primary. The winner will take on Democrat Nancy Morales in the November general election. The seat is held by a Democrat who is not seeking re-election.

The incident that led to Boelkes’ arrest happened June 19 at Buck Creek Nature Preserve, a 37.5-acre park.

A Wyoming police officer was conducting surveillance at the park “due to the excessive amount of men” having sex in the park,” police said in a probable-cause affidavit.

The officer saw Boelkes walk into the woods with another man. When the officer went into the woods, he saw Boelkes and another man, 54, engaged in a sex act, the affidavit said.

The 54-year-old faces the same charge as Boelkes. He is scheduled for arraignment next week.