David Coote, a former Premier League referee, has pleaded guilty to producing an indecent image of a child at Nottingham Crown Court.
The 43-year-old appeared in court on Tuesday regarding a serious allegation related to a Category A video, which is the most severe classification. This evidence was seized by law enforcement in February.
Dressed in a navy suit and black tie, Coote confirmed his name and entered his plea during a brief six-minute hearing presided over by Judge Nirmal Shant KC.
Coote, who resides on Woodhill Road in Collingham, near Newark in Nottinghamshire, was granted conditional bail by the judge and instructed to return to court on December 11.
While standing in the dock with his hands clasped, the judge informed Coote that a pre-sentence report would be prepared prior to sentencing.
Judge Shant stated, “You have admitted to a serious offense. The decision regarding a custodial sentence will be made once all relevant information is available to the court, which is why I have ordered this report.”
Coote was terminated by Professional Game Match Officials Limited in December following the revelation of a video featuring his remarks about former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp made in 2020.
This past August, the Football Association imposed an eight-week suspension on him regarding the Klopp incident.
In January, Coote publicly came out as gay in an interview with The Sun, explaining that his lifelong battle to conceal his sexuality contributed to his outburst about Klopp.