The former Tamaqua police officer already accused of child sex and other charges was indicted on federal 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Thursday that Christopher J. Cordes, 29, of Nazareth, was indicted on the charges by a federal grand jury.

According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that while employed as a Tamaqua police officer, 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, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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 the federal offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

The federal case was brought against Cordes as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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.

Cordes is already facing charges filed in May by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The 21 criminal counts include child sexual abuse, manufacturing child pornography, sexual intercourse with a dog and other charges.

Cordes was immediately suspended from his job and was fired in June. He is free on $250,000 bail.