Former Tamaqua Police Officer Indicted on Charges of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity, Attempted Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography, and Animal Crushing

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that 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.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit  www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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