West MI man charged with alleged child pornography at Guantanamo Bay

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan man who works for a military contractor at Guantanamo Bay faces federal charges for allegedly possessing child pornography at the naval base.

A federal indictment was filed on August 28 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan against David Mark Bartels.

According to court documents, Bartels lived in Grand Rapids before arriving at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in May 2019.

He is accused of possessing multiple photos and videos of child pornography while aboard the naval base, including “images and videos depicting prepubescent minors.”

Court documents filed last week indicate that Bartels was a civilian employee of a “fuel supplier” working on the base.

Established in 1903, Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located approximately 430 miles southeast of Miami along the coast of Cuba.

According to the U.S. Navy, the base “serves as a key operational and logistics hub, supporting a variety of missions, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and joint operations.”

Bartels is charged with possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside the United States. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

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