Former Premier League referee David Coote has been charged after police said they found a disturbing video earlier this year.
The 43-year-old, who was dropped from officiating in December, is accused of making an indecent image of a child. The charge can cover downloading, saving, or sharing abuse material.
Nottinghamshire Police said Coote was charged on August 12 and released on conditional bail. He is expected to appear at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The charge comes just months after UEFA banned him until June 2026, following the release of a video that appeared to show him snorting a white substance with a banknote while in Germany for Euro 2024.
Coote, once a regular in the Premier League, has faced controversy before. In 2020, a leaked clip showed him making offensive remarks about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
In January, he came out publicly as gay, saying the pressure of hiding his sexuality had contributed to what he called “bad choices.”
