Former Premier League referee David Coote has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting to making an indecent image of a 15-year-old boy.
The court heard that police seized Coote's electronic devices and discovered a two-minute explicit video of the boy, wearing a school uniform, dating back to January 2, 2020.
He was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve time immediately but could be sent to jail if he commits another offence during that period.
As per multiple reports, Coote was also given a sexual harm prevention order lasting 10 years.
Judge Nirmal Shant KC told Coote, "Those who commit this sort of offence must realise they involve a real child and that causes them damage," as per BBC.
The video came to the police's attention when Coote was being investigated by the Football Association (FA) over social media comments he made about ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Coote's lawyer, Laura Miller argued in his defence that the actions he took on January 2 did not reflect his true character and that he was struggling emotionally at the time due to his breakup.
Judge Shant told Coote, "You were a lonely man. You had a relationship that had broken down recently. You had mental health difficulties and you were consuming cocaine, which of course was your choice, but it had a direct effect on your thinking."
While, Coote did not made any public comment and was allowed to leave the court privately. His lawyer stated that he feels "deeply ashamed" of his actions.
