Former York Co. officer pleads guilty to child porn charges

(Harrisburg) — A former York County police officer has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Investigators with the state Attorney General’s Office said Chad Howell was an officer with the West Manchester Township Police Department in February 2017 when they got a tip about suspected child sexual exploitation.

They found he had several picture of nude girls ages 8 to 15 saved in a Pinterest social media app on his personal iPhone. One of his Pinterest usernames included his badge number.

Howell was put on unpaid administrative leave after his arrest and was terminated shortly thereafter. He was previously employed by the York City police department.

The 38-year-old Dillsburg man pleaded guilty to four counts of child pornography possession. He must register as a sex offender for at least 15 years.