CHIPPEWA TWP. — Freedom Area High School’s head football coach was arrested Thursday in relation to a child pornography investigation.

Russell Barley, 59, of Chippewa Township was arrested and arraigned Thursday morning.

He was charged by state police with felony counts of disseminating photos/film of child sex acts, child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.

The Freedom Area School District suspended Barley effective immediately, and Barley subsequently resigned, said district Superintendent Jeff Fuller. No Freedom students were believed to be involved in the case, Fuller said.

Barley was also a high school math teacher at Neshannock Township School District in Lawrence County. He was immediately suspended by district administration after they became aware of the charges Thursday, and Barley subsequently resigned, said Neshannock Township Superintendent Terence Meehan. No Neshannock students, equipment or resources were involved in the case, Meehan said.

Police executed a search warrant Thursday at Barley’s McMillen Avenue home regarding an ongoing undercover child sexual abuse investigation involving the distribution and possession of child pornography.

Barley told investigators that several months ago, he “became curious about child pornography and downloaded videos of it using Bit Torrent,” an electronic file-sharing service, according to the police report.

An initial search of his desktop computer found a video of a 14-year-old girl modeling in the nude, police said.

Barley said he since deleted many of the videos he downloaded because he knew what he was doing was wrong, according to the police report.

Barley is free after posting $25,000 bond.

Barley was in his first season as Freedom's high school football coach. In nine games, he led the Bulldogs to an 8-1 regular season, including 5-1 in the WPIAL Class 2A Midwestern Conference, and a playoff berth. With one more win, Freedom would have a share of the conference title for the first time since 1977.

Freedom hosts Western Beaver on Friday night. Freedom Athletic Director John Rosa will coach for the Bulldogs.