The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday that a former Tamaqua Police officer will face federal charges.
Christopher J. Cordes, age 29, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted receipt of and possession of child pornography, and animal crushing.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that while employed as a Tamaqua Police Officer for the Tamaqua Police Department, Cordes communicated with at least one minor victim on a social media platform, whom he attempted to solicit for child pornography. Additionally, Cordes is alleged to have used at least one social media platform to attempt to receive child pornography. Cordes is also alleged to have created and then sent images to at least one minor victim, and others, depicting himself engaged in sexual activity with animals. When Cordes was arrested, he was in possession of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Cordes was arrested in May by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office on the charges Sexual contact with a minor, Unlawful contact with a minor, Child pornography, disseminating photography of child sexual acts, disseminating explicit sexual material of a minor, Criminal use of a communication facility, Sexual intercourse with an animal, Conspiracy to disseminate photography of child sexual acts, Conspiracy to possess child pornography.