David Coote admits making indecent image of child in a brief hearing that was held at a court in Nottinghamshire.
David Coote, a former Premier League referee, entered a guilty plea to creating an offensive image of a child at Nottingham Crown Court.
The former official made an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday in relation to a claim concerning a category A video—the most dangerous type—that was found by police in February.
During the hearing before Judge Shant KC, the 43-year-old, dressed in a blue suit and black tie, merely spoke to confirm his name and submit his plea.
Shant granted conditional release to the former referee, who hails from Collingham, near Newark, Nottinghamshire, and instructed him to return to court on December 11.
Creating an indecent image of a kid includes actions like downloading, sharing, or storing images or recordings of abuse. The photograph was classified as category A, the most serious type, according to the court.
The English refereeing organisation Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) fired Coote, a former Premier League referee, last December when a video of him making remarks about Jürgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool at the time, went viral.
Coote has officiated four international friendlies in addition to 112 Premier League games, 143 Championship games, and 30 FA Cup games.
Shant told Coote that a pre-sentencing report was being ordered: “You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court, which is why I have ordered a pre-sentence report.”