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Police investigating former Salem volleyball coach charged in child pornography case

A news release said someone called police on March 17 after discovering a covert recording device in the bathroom of a home.

Dewayne Thomas Barger

Zach Crizer | 981-3234

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Salem police have arrested a man who coached teens in volleyball, charging him with secretly recording an underage girl in a bathroom.

According to a news release, Salem police arrested Dewayne Thomas Barger, 37, of Salem on Friday. He is charged with four counts of possession of child pornography.

The release said someone called police on March 17 after discovering a covert recording device in the bathroom of a home. The person who called police turned over the device. The release said investigators found digital video images of a nude girl under the age of 18 that had been recorded on four occasions.

Police said the victim was unaware she was being recorded.

Salem spokesman Mike Stevens said Barger was a volunteer assistant volleyball coach at Salem High School from 2006 to 2011. He said Barger was never a paid employee of the Salem school system, but a background check was performed before he began coaching. The check raised no red flags.

Kevin DeGidio of Salem said his daughter played for Barger on local travel team NRV Juniors. DeGidio said he expressed concern about Barger’s behavior to the director of NRV Juniors and in a phone call to Old Dominion Region Volleyball, a governing body, more than a year ago.

In those complaints, DeGidio said Barger sent his daughter, who was 14 when she began playing for the coach, incessant text messages late at night about Barger’s personal relationships. DeGidio said he also complained to both groups a year and a half ago when Barger began requiring players on the team to attend a practice at Green Ridge Recreation Center. At these practices, DeGidio said, the players and Barger got in a pool and practiced water aerobics. DeGidio said his daughter expressed discomfort with the practices.

ODR Vice President Bob Kyle said the statewide organization does not have any record of the complaint or any complaints against Barger.

DeGidio said his daughter was banned from the club in April 2012 after the complaints. In the fall, they were once again told his daughter wouldn’t be allowed to play for NRV Juniors in the current season.

NRV Juniors officials did not respond to requests for comment.

DeGidio’s daughter is not connected to Barger’s criminal case.

Barger is being held without bond at the Roanoke County-Salem Jail, according to the release.

The investigation is ongoing.

Sunday, September 15, 2013