Coopersburg EMT Faces Child Porn Charges

Christian Ford, 28, of Harleysville, PA in Montgomery County was charged yesterday with the following crimes:

• 13 counts of dissemination of child pornography
• 55 counts of possession of child pornography
• 68 counts of criminal use of a communication facility

According to early reports, Ford was an Emergency Medical Technician for Coopersburg. Sources later confirmed he was currently working for Coopersburg Ambulance. Ford also spent several days weekly at his mother's home in Woodlyn, PA (Delaware County).

According to the criminal complaint, police were tipped off to Ford’s alleged activities by Allentown Det. Thomas Anderson. Anderson, a member of the Criminal Investigation Division, “was conducting an on-line internet investigation to identify those possessing and sharing child pornography,” the complaint says.

Anderson was able to identify a computer being used to disseminate child pornography, which was then traced to Ford's mother's home in Woodlyn.

Anderson continued the investigation with the cooperation of Detective Dave Schanes of Montgomery County and Lt. David Peifer of Delaware County. Law enforcement officials, including Lt. Peifer served a search warrant at Ford's mother's home last week and confiscated the computer, identified at a Toshiba laptop.

According to the complaint, “55 videos/images were located that … depict children, under the age of 18 years old, engaged in sexual acts and/or poses. The images depicted children as young as infants and also children in sexual bondage.”

The complaint goes on, “Mrs. Ford stated that her son Christian Ford stays at her residence approximately three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, and is an EMT for Woodlyn [Delaware County] Fire Company 67. He also runs for an ambulance in Coopersburg, PA.” Coopersburg Ambulance did not return calls for this article.

A hearing has been set for June 6 in Deleware County. Bail was set at $100,000. Ford was remanded to the county prison in lieu of bail.