John Hogan

WZZM

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Cascade Township firefighter is facing four felony charges accusing him of child sexually abusive activity involving a 16-year-old girl, which includes charges he had nude photos of the girl on his cell phone.

Clem Harold Bell, 51, is accused of producing child sexually abusive material of the girl at his home on Ridgemont Drive, east of Thornapple River Drive SE in Cascade Township. The offense occurred Dec. 14, according to court records.

He is charged with child sexually abusive activity, a 20-year felony, and possession of child sexually abusive material, which carries a four-year penalty.

Read more:

Trial set for mom accused of putting tot’s arm in hot coffee

Police: Unattended child dies in Dearborn Heights tub

Bell is also charged with two counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He faces up to 20 years in prison on one count and seven years on the second count.

Bell is one of two paid on-call firefighters recently suspended as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Kent County Undersheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young said Bell was not charged with sexual assault because of the victim’s age.

On Dec. 14, the township's department was served with a warrant for "several pieces of electronic equipment" as part of an investigation with the Kent County Sheriff's Department, according to a news release.

Cascade Township officials are cooperating with the sheriff's department, the release stated.

The sheriff’s department on Dec. 14 received a complaint of an inappropriate relationship between a 16-year-old female and a 51-year-old male, according to a probable cause affidavit in 63rd District Court.

“Investigators learned from the victim that she had known the defendant since April of 2016,’’ Dep. Jason Richards wrote in the probable cause affidavit. “Since that time she stated they had engaged in sexual activities multiple times.

“In addition, they exchanged photographs between the two; these photographs included those sexual in nature via their cellular telephones,’’ Richards wrote.

Deputies obtained multiple search warrants as part of the investigation and were able to locate photographs on Bell’s cell phone “consistent with the victim’s statements,’’ Richards wrote.

Some of the photos were of the victim’s private areas “consistent with child sexually abusive material,’’ Richards wrote.

“In addition, evidence was located on the telephone that indicates the defendant captured a screen image from his device and are new files created with the intention of preserving the image,’’ Richards wrote in the probable cause affidavit.

A warrant charging Bell was authorized on Friday. Bell is expected to be arraigned in 63rdDistrict Court later this week.

A second Cascade Township firefighter is under investigation, but no charges have been filed, LaJoye-Young said. Investigators are still examining electronic equipment seized as part of the investigation, she said.