COLUMBUS (WCMH) — A former Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy has agreed to plead guilty to federal child pornography charges.

A representative for Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal Patel confirmed the plea for Daniel Heintz, 38, on Friday and said that it will be considered in court.

Heintz was employed at the Franklin County Correctional Center.

Court documents state that Heintz had multiple conversations over a messenger app in August with a man who was later arrested by the FBI on child enticement charges in Illinois.

An affidavit said that Heintz and the man discussed their mutual sexual interest in children, as well as the possibility of Heintz taking a nude photograph of an unidentified minor female.

It also alleged that the two exchanged child pornography images, and a search of Heintz’s phone found thousands of such images.

Heintz was fired from the sheriff’s office in February, shortly after the charges were filed.