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Moment football referee who used social media to prey on young girls arrested
This is the moment that an English Football League (EFL) referee who used social media to prey on young girls is arrested.
On Thursday (2 October), Gareth Viccars, 47, of Oldbrook, Milton Keynes was jailed for 13-and-a-half years with a further three-and-a-half years on extended licence at Snaresbrook crown court.
The 47-year-old had previously admitted 16 counts of child sex offences against three 15-year-old girls between November 2021 and October 2024 at the same court.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the organisation responsible for managing all Premier League and EFL matches across England, said he was suspended “as soon as the allegations came to light”.
Addressing Viccars, 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.”
