₦airaland Forum

Former EFL assistant referee Gareth Viccars has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years for ‘praying on vulnerable young women’.

The 47-year-old from Shackleton Place, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes, was also given a further three-and-a-half years on extended licence by Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Viccars abused his victims over a period of several years, the court heard.

Viccars had previously admitted 16 counts of child sex offences against three 15-year-old girls between November 2021 and October 2024.

He was an assistant referee at the time of offending, working on League One matches alongside his job as an estate agent.

Once the allegations came to light he was suspended by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body in charge of refereeing across England’s top four tiers.

Handing down his sentence, Judge Caroline English said: “You did deliberately target these three young victims and you did so on account of their ages at the material time.

“I am therefore quite satisfied that in all three cases you preyed upon young women that were vulnerable.”

Prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC said that Viccars met his victims online through messaging platform Snapchat, telling them WhatsApp was ‘too risky’.

Ms Newell said of one victim: “She says effectively that she was lonely and she just wanted someone to talk to.

“He, it seems, was aware of that and abused it – turning the communication sexual.”

The prosecutor then read out a statement from another victim, saying: “I struggle to sleep, I have had nightmares.

“I would have nightmares about what happened – it kept replaying in my head. When I was awake, I would have flashbacks. I kept reliving it again and again. I feel I am never going to find happiness.”

Judge English told the victims: “You must not allow your lives to be blighted by seeking to shoulder any responsibility for what took place, that would be wholly wrong.

“You must allow all the responsibility to rest where it belongs and that is entirely with Mr Viccars.”

Following the sentencing the Metropolitan Police said they believed there may have been other victims and urged anyone to contact them with further information.

DCI Ross Morrell said Viccars had been ‘spamming hundreds of girls on Snapchat’.

The lead investigator added: “He began with a profile of ‘sorry I think I’ve added the wrong person’, and then he would go in to lie, manipulate them, and then go on to abuse them.

“If anyone thinks they’ve been a victim, then please contact 101, reference this appeal. You will be entitled to specialist care, specialist advice, and you will be believed.”

In other news, the PGMOL were forced to sack David Coote in December last year after a string of damning videos involving the Premier League referee were made public.

Coote was later charged with making an indecent image of a child - which he denied during a court hearing in September.

The 43-year-old's case is set to be heard at Nottingham Crown Court on October 9.

princepee:
why he had money can afford any woman of his choice, why go for minors?

Hope he is not falsely accused.

Well done the crime and do the time.

Karlovych:
Very good!

He should join Ekweremadu in eating spoilt food in prison, spits.

princepee:
why he had money can afford any woman of his choice, why go for minors?

Hope he is not falsely accused.

Well done the crime and do the time.

PapaNnamdi:
You never see those uk teens na why u Talk so,

Go tiktok there is one guy that asks random girls on the street their age,
Girl we look 26 27 dey cap 13years, 14years,

There is no way u will guess they are teens,
And some wouldn't say cos they are in their exploring stage, so don't be too quick to blame the man,

Those girls too don't dress like teens most of the time,

Karlovych:
Very good!

He should join Ekweremadu in eating spoilt food in prison, spits.

PapaNnamdi:
You never see those uk teens na why u Talk so,

Go tiktok there is one guy that asks random girls on the street their age,
Girl we look 26 27 dey cap 13years, 14years,

There is no way u will guess they are teens,
And some wouldn't say cos they are in their exploring stage, so don't be too quick to blame the man,

Those girls too don't dress like teens most of the time,