COVENTRY AND STOKE FOOTBALL COACH ALAN RATTIGAN JAILED FOR SEX TOURISM AND CHILD ABUSE IN EGYPT

In a case that has shocked the local communities of Coventry and Stoke, Alan Rattigan, a 64-year-old football coach, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of engaging in child sex offences linked to his trips abroad. Rattigan, who resided on Avon Street in Stoke, had built a reputation over more than two decades as a dedicated and well-respected coach within the local youth football scene, most recently coaching an under-15s team for a Coventry-based club.

However, beneath this facade of community involvement and sporting dedication, Rattigan led a disturbing double life. The court heard that he traveled extensively to Egypt, where he engaged in sexual activities with young boys, exploiting their vulnerable circumstances. The judge emphasized that there was no evidence of any abuse occurring within the United Kingdom, but Rattigan’s actions abroad were deeply troubling and criminal.

During the proceedings at the Crown Court in Leamington, it was revealed that Rattigan had filmed himself abusing two Egyptian boys. Police investigations uncovered a collection of indecent photographs and videos, including a particularly disturbing image of Rattigan with a boy, which he had hung on his bedroom wall. As part of his sentencing, Rattigan was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, reflecting the severity of his crimes.

Rattigan pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including causing two Egyptian boys to engage in sexual acts with each other and with him during 2004. The court was told that he manipulated the boys into performing sex acts, including one instance where he encouraged one boy to have sex with the other. Further charges involved similar offences committed two years later, with Rattigan persuading one boy to have sex with the other and engaging in sexual activity with one of the children himself.

In addition to these offences, Rattigan faced eight charges related to the possession of indecent photographs and videos of children, as well as seven charges for downloading hundreds of such images from the internet. Prosecutor Alex Warren detailed that police, acting on information received in February of the previous year, executed a search warrant at Rattigan’s home. During the raid, officers seized computers, storage devices, a camcorder, tapes, and photographic prints, all of which indicated a clear sexual interest in young boys.

Mr. Warren explained that the seized camcorder tapes contained indecent movies featuring children, most of which appeared to have been filmed in Egypt. The digital media also included numerous indecent images, some created by Rattigan himself and others downloaded from online sources. When questioned by police, Rattigan admitted that he worked as a children’s football coach and revealed a sexual fetish for young male bodies, particularly involving wrestling.

He disclosed that he first traveled to Egypt in 2000 and had made multiple visits since then. In 2004, he was introduced to the boys, allegedly in exchange for money, and engaged in sexual activities with them. The judge, Richard Griffith-Jones, described Rattigan as a “sex tourist,” exploiting the economic disparities between the West and Egypt to satisfy his perverse desires. The victims were estimated to be around nine or ten years old in one case and approximately twelve or thirteen in another.

During the sentencing hearing, Rattigan’s defense lawyer, David Murray, acknowledged the harm caused by his client’s actions. He stated that Rattigan had struggled to reconcile his offending behavior but recognized the vulnerability of his victims, who were subjected to exploitation due to their age and financial hardship.

Judge Griffith-Jones condemned Rattigan for his duplicity, emphasizing that despite his popularity and respect within the local football community, he harbored a “darker side” characterized by a “perverse and damaging distorted sexual perspective.” The court’s decision reflects the gravity of his crimes and the need to protect children from such predatory behavior.