Football assistant referee, 46, ‘charged with child sex offence involving teenage girl’
- An EFL assistant referee has reportedly been charged with a child sex offence
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An assistant referee for the English Football League has reportedly been charged with a child sex offence.
Gareth Viccars is due to appear in court as he faces one charge of penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged between 13 and 15.
Viccars, 46, has already appeared in Willesden Magistrates Court last week and is due in Snaresbrook Crown Court on March 3 where a plea will be entered, according to Sky Sports News.
He is currently being remanded in custody.
It is understood that Viccars has not officiated in any matches this campaign.
‘As soon as the allegations came to light, Mr Viccars was immediately suspended,’ a spokesperson for referees’ body the PGMOL told Sky Sports News.
An assistant referee from the EFL has reportedly been charged with a child sex offence (stock image)
Gareth Viccars will appear in Snaresbrook Crown Court on March 3 (stock image used)
‘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.
Mail Sport has contacted the FA and the EFL for comment.
More to follow.
