Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo
Photo credit: Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo

A San Diego man wanted on child pornography charges turned himself in Thursday, authorities reported.

Bartolomeo Bavarella, 31, surrendered Thursday morning at Oceanside Police headquarters, according to the FBI.

Last week, a federal judge issued an arrest warrant for Bavarella on suspicion of possessing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

According to a federal complaint, Bavarella exchanged messages with another man accused of sexually exploiting young children while working as a pediatric nurse. That suspect, Michael William Lutts of San Diego, was arrested last August after investigators allegedly found images of him molesting a 2-month-old foster baby he was caring for at his College-area home.

One of the alleged communications between Bavarella and Lutts purportedly included directions to the latter’s home and comments about a plan to kidnap a child.

Oceanside police turned Bavarella over to the custody of the FBI, officials said.

—City News Service