SCRANTON, Pa. — A former Tamaqua police officer was sentenced to 330 months — 27.5 years — in federal prison for producing child pornography, creating an animal crush video, and coercing a minor into illegal sexual activity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced.
Christopher J. Cordes, 31, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Saporito Jr. Cordes will serve 10 years of supervised release after his prison term. The charges included coercion and enticement of a minor, attempted receipt and possession of child pornography, production of child pornography, and creation of an animal crush video.
“As a former police officer, Cordes understood the trust our communities place in those who wear a badge, and violated that trust in the most disturbing way,” said Nathan Abel, acting special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. “This sentence reflects the persistent work of HSI special agents and our partners at the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to uncover his conduct, support the victims, and ensure he will never again have the opportunity to exploit a child.”
According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cordes used a social media platform while employed as a Tamaqua Police Department officer in 2023 and 2024 to communicate with at least one minor victim, soliciting the child to create sexually explicit images and videos. Cordes also solicited child pornography from others on social media and created a video depicting himself engaged in sexual activity with animals, which he sent to at least one minor victim and others. He was in possession of child pornography at the time of his arrest.
“This case involved truly disturbing conduct that has no place in a civilized society, and we thank our federal partners for collaboration that ultimately removed a predator from the community for multiple decades,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted it as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.