Former referee Coote pleads not guilty to indecent image of a child

Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded not guilty to a charge of making an indecent image of a child after appearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court on Thursday, court records and police said. The 43 year old, of Collingham, entered a not guilty plea to a single count that police say relates to a video file allegedly created on January 2, 2020. He was charged on August 12 and is currently on conditional bail.

Nottinghamshire Police said the charge follows an investigation in which officers recovered a video file in February of this year. The force said the allegation concerns a Category A image, the most serious classification of child sexual abuse material. Police and legal guidelines state that Category A material typically depicts the most extreme forms of sexual abuse, including penetrative sexual activity or sexual assault. The charge of making an indecent image can encompass creating, downloading, sharing or saving such material, the force added.

At the 18 minute hearing Coote confirmed his name and date of birth and entered his plea. He asked for the case to be sent for trial at Crown Court and was granted conditional bail. The bail terms reported by the...