GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan man working for a military contractor at Guantanamo Bay is facing a federal charge for allegedly possessing child pornography within the naval station.
A federal indictment was filed in the United State District Court for the Western District of Michigan on Aug. 28 against David Mark Bartels.
According to court documents, Bartels was living in Grand Rapids before arriving at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in May 2019.
He is accused of possessing multiple photos and videos of child pornography while on board the naval station, allegedly including “images and videos that depicted prepubescent minors.”
The court documents filed last week say that Bartels was a civilian employee of a “fuel supplier” working at the base.
Established back in 1903, the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay sits about 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 facing one count of possession of child pornography by a person employed by the armed forces outside of the United States. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
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