Disgraced Premier League Referee Faces 10 Years in Jail After Pleading Guilty to Making Indecent Image of a Chid

Disgraced former Premier League referee David Coote has admitted to making a 'category A' indecent image of a child and could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The 43-year-old, who was dismissed by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) last year, entered a guilty plea during an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday morning.

Coote, of Newark, confessed to making one indecent image of a child, classified as the most serious 'category A', on January 2, 2020. The charge, which includes acts like downloading and saving such material, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in custody. The court heard that Coote used a Dell laptop to access the video.

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As a result of his plea, Coote will be added to the Sex Offender's Register, with the duration to be determined at his sentencing. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for December 11.

Appearing in court in a blue suit, Coote reversed his previous not guilty plea from a magistrates' court hearing. Judge Nirmal Shant KC cautioned him that a custodial sentence remains a possibility.

"You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter," the judge stated. "Whether custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court. You mustn’t go away with the impression that this automatically means a non-custodial sentence—it doesn’t."

Coote was granted conditional bail, which prohibits him from having any contact with children under 18 or living at an address where they reside. He is also subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which restricts his activities, potentially including monitoring his internet usage and preventing him from clearing his browser history.

The court was told that the police investigation began after the FA looked into Coote's conduct. Prosecutor Ben Payne explained that "two conversations that were of concern appeared to indicate Mr Coote had a sexual interest in children."

Following his arrest, a PGMOL-registered Dell laptop was seized, on which a Category A video of a 15-year-old was discovered. The laptop was confiscated on August 12, over eight months after his dismissal from the PGMOL.

Coote, once a prominent top-flight and international official, was sacked in December following the emergence of a video where he made disparaging remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, referring to him as a "German c*." The FA charged him with an "aggravated breach" of its rules over the comment.

Earlier this year, PGMOL chief Howard Webb ruled out any prospect of Coote returning to officiating. "I think it'd be really difficult for David to come back, I'm afraid to say," Webb commented. "It's sad what happened with David, but I would think it would be a challenging thing for him to come back."

Coote has previously expressed remorse, citing being in a "dark place" and revealing that he had hidden his sexuality throughout his career for fear of abuse.

"My sexuality isn't the only reason that led me to be in that position," he said. "But I'm not telling an authentic story if I don't say that I'm gay and that I've had real struggles with hiding that."