Teenage

A FOOTBALL league assistant referee who preyed on teenage girls has been jailed for 13-and-a-half years.

Gareth Viccars, 47, was locked up behind bars for a string of child sexual abuse offences involving three 15-year-old schoolgirls.

Viccars previously pleaded guilty to 16 counts, including sexual communications with a child, meeting with a child following sexual grooming, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and engaging in sexual activity with a child.

The offences spanned three years between November 2021 and October 2024 and involved three girls aged 15, Snaresbrook Crown Court previously heard.

On Thursday, Viccars was jailed for 13 and a half years with a further three and a half years on extended licence at the same court.

Viccars was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Addressing the referee, 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.

Viccars was an assistant referee at the time of offending.

He has worked as an official for League One clashes in the EFL alongside his day job as an estate agent. 

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”.

Viccars was not considered for appointments after his initial suspension.

The PGMOL has since removed him from the organisation’s list, it is believed.

It is understood the former assistant referee did not officiate during the last season.

The judge said that despite Viccars’s guilty pleas and expressions of remorse, there remained a lack of acknowledgment from the defendant that he had “a sexual interest in female children”.

This interest was clear from the contents of messages sent to his victims and a statement from Viccars’s ex-girlfriend, which said he used to ask her to dress up in school uniform.

Viccars, who appeared in the dock wearing a dark green sweatshirt, nodded as the judge read out her sentencing remarks.

The prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC told the court Viccars had met his victims online through the messaging app Snapchat, telling one girl that talking on WhatsApp was “too risky”.

She said Viccars had lied and told one of his victims he was a teacher when they first started communicating and was aware that she was 15 years old.

The court heard he had abused another of his victims over a period of several years – taking her to football matches and told others he was “mentoring” her.

A scrapbook chronicling the two’s “relationship” that was made by the teenager, and given to Viccars, was handed to police and formed part of the evidence against him, the prosecutor said.

In court, Viccars watched the victim read out an impact statement during which she said he had been her “world” and that she had trusted him “completely” for almost three years.

Addressing her abuser, she said he had won her over with “kind words” and “attention” and had isolated her “in plain sight”.

“Now I know what you really wanted was someone young enough to manipulate,” she added.

After the sentencing, the Met Police said they believed there may be other victims of Viccars as he had been “spamming hundreds of girls on Snapchat”.

DCI Ross Morrell, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “He began with a profile of ‘sorry I think I’ve added the wrong person’, and then he would go in to lie, manipulate them, and then go on to abuse them.

“If anyone thinks they’ve been a victim, then please contact 101, reference this appeal.

“You will be entitled to specialist care, specialist advice, and you will be believed.”

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Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma, Reds manager Arne Slot has revealed.

The centre-half has been a key target for Slot and is now set to move to Anfield in a deal worth in the region of £26m.

The Italy Under-19s international began his career at Padova and had a short spell at Sampdoria before joining Parma last summer.

He enjoyed a breakthrough Serie A campaign last season, making 17 appearances as Parma finished 16th, five points above the relegation zone.

“The clubs have agreed a deal but he has not signed for us yet. The moment he does, I can go into more detail,” Slot said.

The Reds boss refused to comment when asked about a potential move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

“He’s not our player. Unfortunately, he was the captain of the team who we lost to last Sunday. If you want to have any talks about him you should go to Palace and [manager Oliver] Glasner and ask him about it,” Slot said.

FA Cup winners Palace are believed to want £40m for their captain, who only has 12 months left on his contract, but Liverpool want to pay less than that.

Eagles chairman Steve Parish said earlier this week Guehi might be sold to avoid him moving on a free transfer next summer.

If the clubs do agree a deal, the level of playing time he would be afforded at Liverpool will be a crucial consideration for Guehi in a World Cup year.

The Reds have already spent about £270m this summer, though they have recouped about £170m through player sales.

They have also had a £110m bid for Alexander Isak rejected by Newcastle, though sources have told BBC Sport the Swede remains determined to move to the Premier League champions.

Signing Leoni, Guehi and Isak would take Liverpool’s summer spending past £400m.

Defending champions Liverpool begin their 2025-26 Premier League campaign in Friday’s curtain-raiser against Bournemouth at Anfield.

Aug. 12 (UPI) — American social media influencer and pilot Ethan Guo, who is circumnavigating the globe to raise money for childhood cancer research, was facing expulsion from Chile’s Antarctic region after charges that he landed on a remote island without permission were dropped.

Guo, 19, from California, was ordered by a judge on Monday to leave King George Island, make a $30,000 donation to a children’s cancer foundation and prohibited from re-entering Chilean airspace for three years.

Setting off from Memphis, Tenn., in May 2024, Guo’s attempt to raise $1 million for the city’s St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by becoming the youngest person to solo fly to all seven continents ran into trouble in June when he allegedly diverted 770 miles to the island from Punta Arenas in the far south of Chile.

The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics said Guo amended his flight plan for his Cessna 182 after departing Punta Arenas “without notifying the respective air traffic control centers of the airport” and accused him of providing false flight plan information to officials when he was detained at Teniente R. Marsh Airport.

Regional prosecutor Cristian Crisosto Rifo said at the time that Guo had submitted a flight plan that involved flying over the city of Punta Arenas and that by departing from the route without informing anyone, had “seriously endangered the safety of air traffic to Antarctica and the Magallanes region.”

He was also alleged to have breached international law, with the GDCA saying “the unauthorized operation at the airfield in Antarctica also implied non-compliance with the Antarctic Statute.”

The 1959 treaty governs international relations with regard to the seventh continent.

After having formal charges laid against him on June 29, one of which carried jail time, Guo was freed but ordered to remain in Chile pending the outcome of an investigation.

Guo’s legal team argued that he was forced to make the diversion due to unforeseen complications during what they termed an “exploratory” test flight.

The teen, whose record-breaking feat is being tracked by at least 1.7 million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other social media, had already visited the six other continents before he ran afoul of the Chilean authorities.

Guo launched the fundraising effort after his cousin was diagnosed with Stage -4 blood cancer.

A KNIFEMAN is on the loose after a teenage boy was stabbed to death in a Powerleague football car park.

Cops now say a murder investigation has been launched after the brutal attack in Bury, Greater Manchester.

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The 19-year-old man was attacked just before 9pm on Friday, August 1 in a car park on Market Street, according to Greater Manchester Police.

He sustained several stab wounds and later died from his injuries, the force said.

His family are being supported by specially trained officers.

No arrests have yet been made in what police believe was a “targeted attack” and officers have appealed for any witnesses to contact them.

Detective Chief Inspector John Charlton, from the Major Incident Team, said: “Firstly, our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends after this tragic and upsetting incident – our specially trained officers are supporting them at this difficult time.

“This incident will have shocked the community and distressed anyone who witnessed it, but we believe this was a targeted attack with no wider threat.

“We have several scenes in place with the investigation ongoing in order to identify and apprehend the offenders responsible.

“There will be officers in the area today and in the coming days as we are determined to bring the family the answers they deserve.”

Gout Gout is a teenage sprinter from Australia whose scintillating speed has drawn huge interest from fans and pundits around the world.

That amplified on Tuesday when the 17-year-old set a new Australian record of 20.02 seconds over 200m on his senior international debut at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava.

Gout competes over 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m and has set a series of impressive records at youth level.

Videos of Gout’s dominant performances have gone viral online, and his height, long strides, and string of stellar victories have led to comparisons to legendary eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt.

Born in Queensland to parents from South Sudan, Gout is one of seven children. His father has said his name should be pronounced ‘Gwot’, as it was originally spelt ‘Guot’ before being incorrectly transliterated from Arabic during his early childhood.

His sprinting ability was was first noted by school coach Di Sheppard, who has worked with Gout since he was 13.

Gout is still at school, but is embarking on the first steps of his international career.

Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says she is “really excited” by the inclusion of 16-year-old goalkeeper Abbie Smith in her squad for the forthcoming Nations League games against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Smith has been named in the senior squad for the first time after joining Manchester City on a two-year scholarship from Crusaders Strikers in March.

The teenager was brought in to train with the squad last month but is now officially part of the panel after impressing the NI boss.

Northern Ireland sit second in Group B1, four points behind the table-topping Poles before the final pair of fixtures.

They will play the unbeaten group leaders at Seaview in Belfast on Friday, 30 May and then travel to Zenica to face third-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday, 3 June.

“Abbie came in and she was seamless in relation to training intensity, being in and around the group and the maturity that she showed,” said Oxtoby.

“There’s no doubting her talent so that was really impressive. The main thing when we’re looking at the younger players coming in is are they ready for that senior environment?”

Oxtoby has involved other young players in recent squads also, including Aimee Kerr, Abi Sweetlove, Keri Halliday and Kascie Weir.

“They’re all playing really well and they add a lot. They add a lot of quality to our group,” she added.

“We know their ability says they are, but from a cultural and an emotional point of view, are they ready? There are elements of that we need to appreciate are quite difficult for young players to come into.

“Our job is to support them in that and Abbie has really impressed in that area. We’re really excited to see how she goes in a full camp.”

A MUM has shared how she makes her teenage daughters pay rent to stay in their own “apartments” at home.

Taja went all out to make her girls their own spaces, complete with doorbell, welcome mat, numbers on the door, a “seasonal” wreath and a letter box.

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But staying in the self-contained room doesn’t come cheap, and the girls are made to pay rent every week.

However, Taja explained in a video on her TikTok page that the only reason she does so is because the kids are listed as employees in her company, and therefore get a salary into their accounts on a weekly basis.

And in the clip, she showed a whiteboard with all the costs they have to cover with their wage.

“This is their bills,” Taja said.

“They have to pay £3.75 ($5) every week for rent and another £3.75 ($5) every week for utilities.”

They also have to put £7.50 into their savings account, with all the money due by 9pm on a Friday night.

“If they do not have it paid by 9.01, their first notice is no phone for 24 hours and they have to pay an extra dollar,” she added.

“Second notice is no phone for three days, and five dollars.

“And the third notice is eviction.”

Another thing Taja can do as their “landlord” is to inspect their apartments at any point.

“Random inspections can happen anytime,” she explained.

“The first notice they get 24 hours to clean it, the second notice they get no phone for two days and the third notice is no phone for a week.”

Taja also said that she’s been trying to get them to do “extra chores” but that was “not happening”.

“But do they do their extra chores?” she sighed.

“Absolutely not.”

Taja’s setup for her kids divided opinion in the comments section, with one writing: “How can you make your children pay bills when it is your responsibility as a parent to take care of them?

More parenting hacks

IF you want to make your life easier as a first-time mum, here’s nine hacks you won’t want to miss.

1. Routine Charts

Create visual charts for daily routines. Use pictures and stickers to make them engaging for younger children.

2. Meal Planning

Plan meals a week in advance to save time and reduce stress. Involve your children in meal prep to teach them cooking skills.

3. Toy Rotation

Keep a portion of toys stored away and rotate them periodically. This keeps playtime fresh and exciting without the need for constant new purchases.

4. DIY Cleaning Solutions

Make child-safe cleaning solutions using vinegar and baking soda. It’s effective and keeps harsh chemicals away from little hands.

5. Time-Out Jar

Create a time-out jar filled with calming activities written on slips of paper. When emotions run high, children can pick an activity to help them settle down.

6. Educational Apps

Utilise educational apps and websites to make screen time productive. Look for ones that offer interactive learning in subjects your child is interested in.

7. Command Centre

Set up a family command centre with a calendar, key hooks, and a bulletin board. It helps keep everyone organised and aware of daily schedules.

8. Emergency Kit

Keep a small emergency kit in the car with essentials like snacks, water, first aid supplies, and a change of clothes. It’s a lifesaver for unexpected situations.

9. Label Everything

Use labels for clothes, school supplies, and lunch boxes. It makes it easier to keep track of belongings, especially in shared spaces like schools.

“I understand if they were adult children but they are not!”

“Dang you gotta keep it clean 24hrs?” another added.

“That’s unreasonable – especially when they are paying rent…in apartments you have a heads up!”

However, others insisted she was doing the right thing by asking her kids to pay for their accommodation.

“Setting kids up for success,” one wrote.

“Such a neat idea!” another added.

“Oh my God, I think this is an amazing idea when they pay the rent,” a third commented.

“I would definitely put their money in like a bank account to save for them for like college or when they turn 18.”

“This is GENIUS,” someone else said.

“Those kids will be independent and successful because of you momma! I am inspired!! Good job mama!!”

“What a creative way to teach them to be responsible,” another added.

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A TEENAGE girl was allegedly sexually assaulted on a bus near a town centre – as cops issue CCTV.

The girl was travelling near Chatham, Kent, at around 4pm on March 25 when she was approached by the stranger.

He proceeded to sit next to her and allegedly touched her over her clothing, before getting off the bus, according to cops.

A spokesperson for Kent Police said: “The bus driver was alerted and a report was later made to Kent Police.

“Officers have been completing enquiries into the incident and are now able to issue an image of a person they would like to speak to as he may have important information.”

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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