This suspect has been arrested. See press release.

The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance to locate and arrest Bartolomeo Bavarella, age 31, of San Diego, California. Bavarella is wanted on federal child pornography charges.

On January 13, 2015, a federal arrest warrant was authorized by a U.S. Magistrate Judge based upon a federal complaint charging Bavarella with violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252 (a)(2), receipt of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to the complaint, in August 2014, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence of Michael William Lutts, located on Tierra Baja Way, San Diego, California. While at Lutts’ residence, FBI agents located child pornography produced by Lutts, showing Lutts molesting a 2-month-old child at his residence. Also located were text messages from Lutts to others that included the child pornography images he created of the child. Further review of an iPhone seized from the residence revealed messages between Lutts and the cell phone of Bartolomeo Bavarella. The messages included direction to Lutts’ residence, as well as plans to kidnap a female child.

Additional investigation by FBI agents that included serving a court authorized search warrant for Bavarella’s e mail account revealed six child pornography images from an individual in August 2013. The individual who sent these images to Bavarella was arrested by FBI agents in 2014 on child pornography charges. During the process of receiving these images, Bavarella allegedly encouraged the sender to continue to send the illegal images and did not show any objection to the material he was receiving.

On January 13, 2015, a U.S. Magistrate Judge, authorized the issuance of a federal arrest warrant for Bavarella on federal child pornography charges based upon the FBI’s investigation.

Bartolomeo Bavarella is described as follows:

• Sex: Male
• Race: White
• Height: 5’9” tall
• Weight: 180 pounds
• Date of birth: February 7, 1983
• Hair: Black
• Eyes: Brown
  

Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Bartolomeo Bavarella is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 320-1800 or submit a tip via the Internet at https://tips.fbi.gov.

A complaint itself is not evidence that the defendant committed crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.