SAXONBURG — A Winfield Township man is accused of sending sexually explicit images and making lewd comments to a 16-year-old girl.

State police charged 21-year-old Joshua C. Barber on Wednesday with three counts of disseminating obscene or sexual material, unlawful contact with a minor and criminal use of a communication facility, all felonies.

He also is charged with misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and harassment.

Police began their investigation July 8 when New York State Police advised them that a girl, while riding a school bus Jan. 6, received a telephone call from an unknown number.

The caller made a comment about wanting to have sex with her, police said. The victim ended the call, but the suspect called back. The girl told him to stop calling her.

She received another call, police said, which she declined. A short time later, the girl received several direct messages via Instagram.

The messages included several screenshots of the victim from her Instagram account, according to charging documents, along with inappropriate sexual comments. Three digital images of male genitalia were also sent.

The investigation, police said, later linked Barber to the Instagram account from which the lewd comments and explicit images were sent.

Police interviewed the defendant at the Butler barracks July 18. He allegedly admitted to calling the girl after obtaining her number online.

He also acknowledged that he sent the inappropriate messages and images to the girl from his Instagram account.

District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Barber on charges Wednesday. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bail while awaiting his preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 5 at Haggerty's office in Saxonburg.

Online court records did not indicate if Barber has an attorney.