David Coote charged with Category A indecent image
Former Premier League referee David Coote has appeared in court after being charged with making a Category A indecent video of a child, the most serious level of offences involving child sexual abuse material.
Coote, aged 43 and hailing from Collingham in Nottinghamshire, was formally charged on August 12, 2025, following an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The charge emerged after detectives recovered a video file in February 2025. He was granted conditional bail with strict restrictions: he must not have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 and must not live at an address where someone under 18 resides.
Initially, Coote pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court in September. However, in a subsequent hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, he changed his plea and admitted guilt. Sentencing has been scheduled for December 11, 2025.
Additional notes include that Coote was sacked by the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in December 2024, following prior controversies including derogatory remarks about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. UEFA has also imposed a ban that runs until mid-2026.
