Ex-Assistant Referee Jailed for Sick Teen Sex Attacks
Gareth Viccars, 47, a former assistant referee in England’s lower football leagues, has been locked up for over 13 years for horrific sex offences against three teenage girls.
Snapchat Grooming Leads to Shocking Assaults
Viccars first targeted a 15-year-old via Snapchat, grooming her before meeting at a Huntingdon supermarket car park in December 2023. There, he sexually assaulted her in his white Mercedes. The brave victim escaped and memorised his number plate.
But Viccars wasn’t finished. He continued messaging, boasting about his twisted desires. Days later, he lured her again near a local park, drove her to another car park, and assaulted her for 20 minutes before dropping her off.
Two More Victims Emerge in London and Northamptonshire
After the victim’s school alerted police in June 2024, investigations uncovered two more teenage girls abused by Viccars in London and Northamptonshire.
Harsh Sentence Handed Down at Snaresbrook Crown Court
On 2 October, Viccars from Bletchley, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including six counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child and other child sex offences.
- Jailed for 13 years and 6 months
- Given Sexual Harm Prevention Order
- Registered as a sex offender for life
- Issued restraining orders
“Nightmares and flashbacks have haunted me, my education’s suffered, and my trust in adults is shattered. I feel guilty, isolated and like I’ll never find happiness,” the Huntingdon victim revealed in her statement.
