Former EFL assistant referee Gareth Viccars jailed for child sexual abuse offences | Soccer

An English Football League assistant referee who “preyed upon young women†has been jailed for a string of child sexual abuse offences involving teenage girls.

Gareth Viccars, 47, of Shackleton Place, Oldbrook, Milton Keynes, previously pleaded guilty to 16 counts, including sexual communications with a child, meeting with a child following sexual grooming, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity with a child. The offences spanned three years between November 2021 and October 2024 and involved three girls aged 15, Snaresbrook crown court previously heard.

On Thursday, Viccars was jailed for 13-and-a-half years with a further three-and-a-half years on extended licence at the same court. Addressing the referee, 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.â€

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The judge said that despite Viccarsâ€s guilty pleas and expressions of remorse, there remained a lack of acknowledgment from the defendant that he had “a sexual interest in female childrenâ€. This interest was clear from the contents of messages sent to his victims and a statement from Viccarsâ€s ex-girlfriend, which said he used to ask her to dress up in school uniform.

Viccars, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark green sweatshirt, nodded as the judge read out her sentencing remarks. He was an assistant referee at the time of offending and Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) said he was suspended “as soon as the allegations came to lightâ€. Viccars was not considered for appointments after his initial suspension and PGMO has since removed him from the organisationâ€s list, it is understood.

The prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC told the court Viccars had met his victims online through the messaging app Snapchat, telling one girl that talking on WhatsApp was “too riskyâ€. She said Viccars had lied and told one of his victims he was a teacher when they first started communicating and was aware that she was 15 years old.

Ms Newell read out the transcript of a voice note sent by Viccars to one of his victims, where he referred to her as “little girl†and himself as “daddy†and “teacherâ€. Ms Newell added of the 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.â€

The court heard he had abused another of his victims over a period of several years, had taken her to football matches and told others he was “mentoring†her. A scrapbook chronicling the twoâ€s “relationship†that was made by the teenager and given to Viccars was handed to police and formed part of the evidence against him, the prosecutor said.

In court, Viccars watched the victim read out an impact statement during which she said he had been her “world†and that she had trusted him “completely†for almost three years. Addressing her abuser, she said he had won her over with “kind words†and “attention†and had isolated her “in plain sightâ€. “Now I know what you really wanted was someone young enough to manipulate,†she added.

Another statement was read out by the prosecutor on behalf of a different victim, in which she said she blamed herself for Viccarsâ€s actions, which had broken her trust in adults. She said: “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.â€

Addressing the victims, Judge English said: “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.â€

In mitigation, Laura Blackband, defending, said Viccars acknowledged that his behaviour had been “disgracefulâ€, he had had a “difficult upbringing†and struggled with alcohol issues. Three charges, two of sexual activity with a child and one of engaging in sexual communications with a child, will lie on file, the court previously heard.

After the sentencing, the Metropolitan police said they believed there may be other victims of Viccars as he had been “spamming hundreds of girls on Snapchatâ€. DCI Ross Morrell, who led the Metâ€s investigation, said: “He began with a profile of ‘sorry I think Iâ€ve added the wrong personâ€, and then he would go in to lie, manipulate them, and then go on to abuse them.

“If anyone thinks theyâ€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.â€

It is understood Viccars did not officiate last season.

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