If you think the only invasions of privacy you have to worry about when flying are being patted down by TSA agents and going through body scanners, think again. A federal air marshal was arrested on Thursday after someone reported him for using his cell phone to take photos up women’s skirts.
Adam Bartsch (below) was kicked off a Southwest flight at Nashville International Airport and taken into police custody after a witness saw him taking inappropriate pictures with his cell phone.
(image)
The witness, Rey Collazo, said that he first noticed Bartsch taking pictures while boarding the plane. Collazo was unaware that Bartsch was an on-duty federal air marshal and called him out, disgusted by his actions
“I looked at the guy and said, ‘Excuse me, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. A disgrace to a human being, to a man, that’s wrong,'” Collazo said. Collazo then attempted to take the cell phone from the air marshal. “I just reached over with my left hand and grabbed it, struggled with him a little bit and I got the better part of the phone and twisted and hit him with my right hand between the neck and the shoulder. Shoved him back and I took the phone,” Collazo said.
Collazo notified a flight attendant of Bartsch’s behavior, and he was removed from the plane. The married 28-year-old air marshal admitted taking around a dozen pictures up women’s skirts with his cell phone. Bartsch also told police he had taken these types of photos multiples times in the past.
Bartsch was booked and released on a $10,000 bond late Thursday evening. The Maryland native will return to Nashville to face a judge on his disorderly conduct charge in November. According to Tennessee law, the disorderly conduct charge is a misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to 30 days in jail. See Bartsch’s arrest record from Thursday here.
Do you think a charge of disorderly conduct is enough for the air marshal? Respond below.
The TSA issued a statement on the situation and said that Bartsch has been removed from his duties: “TSA does not tolerate criminal behavior. The agency has removed this individual from his current duties and is in the process of suspending or terminating his employment. TSA is cooperating fully with investigators.”
air marshal arrested for taking up-skirt pics of plane-going ladies WE ARE NOT SAFE NOT IN THE AIR NOT ON THE GROUND NOT IN THE SEA
— tydannosaurus (@DangDeLucia) October 18, 2013
"Federal air marshal took up-skirt photos of female passengers" http://t.co/GacVA87Ee1 And this is who is protecting us in flight.
— George Fuller (@GeorgeAFuller) October 18, 2013
[Images via YouTube]