Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent image of a child, Nottinghamshire Police said.
The 43-year-old, who was dismissed by the league last year after comments he made in a video about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, was charged following a police investigation. The force said the charge related to a video file recovered by officers in February and that Coote was charged on 12 August.
Coote, from Collingham in Nottinghamshire, is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, the police force said. No further details about the nature of the footage or the alleged offence were disclosed by the force in its statement.
The charge follows a separate disciplinary episode last year when the league dismissed Coote after a video emerged in which he made critical remarks about Klopp. At the time, the league said the comments had brought the game into disrepute; Coote subsequently ceased officiating in the competition.
Nottinghamshire Police said its investigation began after a report was made and that officers recovered a video file in February which led to the charge. The force did not provide information about how or where the file was recovered, nor did it identify any victims.
Prosecutions involving indecent images of children are typically handled through the criminal courts, and charges must be proved beyond reasonable doubt. Magistrates' courts conduct the initial hearings in such cases; more serious matters are usually committed to the Crown Court for trial.
Attempts to reach representatives for Coote were not immediately successful. The league and relevant football authorities have previously said they take safeguarding and conduct matters seriously and will act where standards are breached.
The court appearance on Thursday will be an initial hearing, at which the defendant's plea and case progression will be addressed. Further information is expected to be made public through court listings and police communications as the case proceeds.