SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — Chat logs filled with descriptions of sexual acts with minors, an infant, and several animals fill the pages of a criminal complaint.
Investigators say Tamaqua patrolman Christopher Cordes talked openly about it all on the internet.
"I'm appalled, and I've heard nothing," said Karyl Paisley of Tamaqua. "If he did it, then he deserves to be charged."
According to the State Attorney General's Office, investigators received a tip that Cordes, who lives in Bloomsburg, was sharing inappropriate images of children on social media.
During the investigation, authorities obtained a search warrant for Cordes's Snapchat.
It was there investigators say they discovered conversations between him and other users, where he described his sexual attraction to children and allegedly tried to solicit child pornography.
According to a search warrant, in another conversation on the app, investigators say Cordes admits to participating in and sending videos of sexual acts with animals. All of this was happening during the time investigators say he was employed as a patrolman with the Tamaqua Borough Police Department.
A witness told investigators that back in 2021, Cordes told her he wanted to have kids so he could abuse them. He claimed he could get away with it since he was a police officer.
Newswatch 16 reached out to Tamaqua Police. The department's Chief Michael Hobbs released a statement saying in part quote, "We are not aware of any allegations of inappropriate activity while Officer Cordes was on duty. At this time, Officer Cordes has been suspended indefinitely without pay for conduct unbecoming a police officer."
Cordes faces 18 felony counts of child sex charges and three misdemeanor counts of sexual intercourse with animals.