Following a four-month joint city/FBI investigation, police arrested Joseph Pat Chemidlin, 53, of Washington Street in Bethlehem Township, on child pornography charges.

A search warrant was executed June 27 on evidence acquired of electronic images of girls from ages 9 through 15 in various poses.

A laptop and external hard drive recovered at Chemidlin’s residence retained approximately 32,282 images and 16 videos of very young females, ranging in ages of 7 to 8 years to 13 to 20 years of age fully nude and partially nude doing various activities. The investigation into these images is continuing.

Chemidlin is charged with child pornography, dissemination of photographs, videotapes, computer depictions and films, and criminal use of communication facility. He was arraigned before Northampton County District Judge Pat Broscius and bail was set at $25,000 cash. He was committed to Northampton County Prison pending court action.

Police said this is one of many arrests made by or with the assistance of Bethlehem’s new Internet Crimes Against Children unit.