Football coach sentenced for indecent child images

A former football coach who made and shared indecent images of young children has been sentenced.

Callum Avent, 29, from Holbeach in Lincolnshire, carried out the offences while employed by Peterborough United Foundation, working as a scholarship coach with sixth-form students.

He was sentenced to 24 months in prison suspended for three years after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing them and another of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Lincoln Crown Court heard Avent's two phones contained 38 indecent photos of children which were of Category A, the most severe, following a search of his home on 29 November 2023.

Officers also discovered nine Category B images and videos, plus another 17 Category C pictures.

During the search, Avent hid his work phone in a child's bag, in "a moment of panic", which was later recovered along with a second mobile phone, the court heard.

Avent was caught after his Snapchat account was flagged to police in October 2023.

He shared and received indecent images with other users on Snapchat, including Category A videos of children, the court was told.

Avent initially denied having an interest in children, and claimed he was using Snapchat to have conversations with men and explore his sexuality.

In mitigation, Jon Dee told the court his client had no previous convictions and no longer worked with children.

"He was a football coach, he isn't now. He was in a relationship, he isn't now," Mr Dee added.

"What he is now is a man without a job on the sex offenders register."

During sentencing, Recorder Simon King also made Avent the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

He told the 29-year-old: "Regrettably, you did not just acquire images for your own sexual gratification," Recorder King added.

"You were working with young people at the time this happened, you were a football coach I am told."

Passing sentence, Recorder King warned Avent: "Do not think for one moment you are getting off lightly."

Avent was officially suspended by the Peterborough United Foundation in December 2023 after being contacted by Lincolnshire Police. He joined the club in 2017 as an apprentice.

In a statement, the club said it fully cooperated with the police investigation, informed the Football Association and dismissed Avent as soon as evidence was found.

"All safeguarding procedures were followed in accordance with all the authorities involved," the club said.

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