State charges against a former Tamaqua police officer accused of unlawful contact with a minor, sexual intercourse with a dog and possession of child pornography will not be pursued.

However, federal charges against Christopher Cordes, 29, of Nazareth, still stand.

On Dec. 4, prosecutors for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office filed notices of nolle prosequi on the 39 counts against Cordes, according to information from the Columbia Court of Common Pleas. Nolle prosequi is a Latin phrase that means “not to wish to prosecute.”

The state charges were filed in May and Cordes was immediately suspended from the Tamaqua department. He was fired in June.

In October, Cordes was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, attempted receipt of and possession of child pornography and animal crushing.

The indictment alleges that while employed as a Tamaqua police officer, Cordes communicated with at least one minor 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 he was arrested, Cordes was in possession of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the federal offenses is life imprisonment.