Child Porn Maker Had Secret Underground Bunker At Home

Florida investigators uncovered a secret underground bunker in the home of a man arrested for possessing and producing child pornography.

On Dec. 16, officers at the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit executed a search warrant on a Defuniak Springs home after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Center received a tip.

Marty Scott Bass, 57, reportedly met the deputies with a shotgun when investigators initiated the search warrant. The suspect dropped his gun on the ground after several SWAT team members gave him multiple commands, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

The officers detained Bass and began searching his home, where they found the suspect’s cellphone. Further investigation found that the device contained more than 100 images of child pornography — including some that he self-produced of children between the ages of 8 and 10.

Investigators searching Bass’ residence also found, in a shed next to his home, an entrance to a secret underground bunker concealed by a bench. Officers lifted the bench to uncover a hole that leads underground.

Bass was taken to Walton County jail, where he was charged with 10 counts of production of child pornography. He will also face 100 charges for possessing child porn.

Bass was arrested earlier this month, but the sheriff’s office did not release details of the case until Tuesday. His bond was set at $1 million. Jail records didn't list a lawyer for the suspect as of Wednesday night.

Throughout December, Florida detectives have arrested more than a dozen men as part of a child pornography investigation called Operation Guardians of the Innocence VI. Results of the investigation were released on Monday by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Undercover detectives for the PCSO’s Computer Crimes Unit carried out the month-long special operation and arrested 13 men between the ages of 20 to 47 for possessing and sharing photos and videos of child pornography depicting children as young as 1-year-old.

The 13 suspects include a retired Air Force mechanic, a Lakeland Destroyers little league football team assistant coach, a FedEx driver, and a retired Air Force master sergeant. The suspects face a total of 2,353 charges.