Football League assistant referee, 46, ‘charged with 16 baby intercourse offences involving teenage woman’ with trial ‘set to happen in September’
- An English Football League official been charged with 16 child sex offences
- Viccars, 46, is being remanded in custody and will appear in court in September
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An assistant referee for the English Football League has reportedly been charged with 16 child sex offences and remanded in custody ahead of his trial in September.
Gareth Viccars, 46, was charged with penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15 in February.
This forms part of the 16 charges against him, according to The Telegraph. In addition, he has been charged with two counts of sexual communication with a child; one count of meeting a child following sexual grooming; and one count of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child.
The trial is scheduled for Snaresbrook Crown Court, in east London, on September 22.
Viccars has been part of the EFL panel of officials since 2018, and has been involved in FA Cup, Carabao Cup and EFL matches.
He was the assistant referee for AFC Wimbledon‘s League 2 clash with Sutton United in October 2022.
EFL assistant referee Gareth Viccars (pictured) has been charged with 16 child sex offences
It is understood that Viccars (left) has not officiated in an EFL game since March 5 last year
He was also on the touchline when Charlton hosted Burton Albion in March 2022, and for Mansfield’s match with Cambridge United in February 2021.
It is understood that Viccars has not officiated in an EFL game since March 5 last year. He was suspended from work in August 2024 after the police launched an investigation into the allegations made against him.
A spokesperson for referees’ body the PGMOL told Mail Sport: ‘As soon as the allegations came to light, Mr Viccars was immediately suspended.
‘As the matter is the subject of an ongoing police investigation, we are not in a position to comment any further.’
According to his profile on worldfootball.net, Viccars has officiated in the Football League since the 2018-19 season as well as the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
As far back as the 2015-16 season, Viccars was officiating in the Premier League 2, which at the time was the Under-21s league.
In June 2023, Viccars was named Referee of the Year at the Milton Keynes RA annual awards.
