Ex-youth football boss sent sex messages to 'girl'

Karl Jefferson received a suspended jail sentence at Derby Crown Court

A former youth football league boss has been sentenced after admitting sending sexually explicit messages to what he believed was a 12-year-old girl.

However Karl Jefferson was actually talking to an undercover police officer.

Derbyshire Police said the 53-year-old qualified referee was chairman of the Derby Junior Football League when the offences took place between November 2023 and January 2024.

At Derby Crown Court on Monday he was given a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

The force said said Jefferson, of Marks Close, Derby, first messaged the "girl" on the ChatIW platform before moving on to the Kik instant messaging app.

He sent numerous sexually explicit messages over several weeks despite her repeatedly telling him she was 12.

Officers traced his account and he was arrested and charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause/incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Jefferson pleaded guilty to both offences on 11 September and at his sentencing he was also ordered to carry out unpaid work, attend a sex offender treatment programme and given a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

'Depraved acts'

The force said officers worked with the Football Association (FA) following Jefferson's arrest to ensure appropriate safeguarding had been carried out.

Jefferson is no longer involved with the football league and there have been no reports of any in-person offences by him, police added.

Detective staff investigator Georgia Harries, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Police, said: "Jefferson was well aware of how old the girl he thought he was speaking to was but continued to send her sexually explicit messages as well as trying to encourage her to perform sexual acts.

"He had numerous opportunities to end the conversations when the girl repeated her age to him but he continued his depraved acts regardless.

"Thankfully in this case, the recipient of the messages wasn't a real child - and we have been able to save other children from becoming a victim."

The Derbyshire FA has been approached for comment.