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Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged with making an indecent video of a child.
The 43-year-old is scheduled to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on Thursday, September 11 - for an initial hearing regarding the allegation. The defendant has been accused of making one indecent video of a child classified as category A on January 2, 2020. This represents the most severe classification and usually involves young children being raped or sexually abused by adults.
Nottinghamshire Police has provided Nottinghamshire Live with the following statement: "A suspect is due to appear in court after being charged with making an indecent image of a child.
"David Coote, aged 43, has been charged with the offence after an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The charge relates to a video file recovered by officers in February of this year.
"Coote, of Collingham, was charged on 12 August and is currently on conditional police bail. He is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court tomorrow 11 September."
Earlier this year, Coote faced charges from the Football Association concerning comments he made about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He was dismissed last December by Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) following the circulation of a social media video the previous month showing him making disparaging remarks about Klopp in July 2020.
One of those comments referenced Klopp's nationality, which the FA determined constituted an alleged 'aggravated breach' of its regulations. The FA confirmed that Coote would face no additional action regarding separate gambling misconduct allegations, which he had vehemently denied.
The FA stated these allegations had undergone a thorough investigation.
PGMOL confirmed Coote's termination last December, stating his position had become "untenable" following the emergence of the expletive-laden video in which he made derogatory comments about Klopp and officiating at Anfield.
He received a ban from European football's governing body UEFA in February lasting until June 30, 2026, following the emergence of a separate video allegedly showing him inhaling a white substance through a banknote while in Germany for last summer's European Championship.
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