LIAM JAMES BALL PERTH YOUTH FOOTBALL COACH CAUGHT WITH CHILD ABUSE IMAGES

Liam James Ball, a youth football coach based in Perth, has been convicted and placed on the sex offenders register following a disturbing discovery of child abuse images on his electronic devices. The investigation revealed that Ball had been involved in the possession and downloading of illicit material for several years, with authorities uncovering a significant collection during a police raid at his Perth residence in September 2018.

During the raid, officers found a total of 485 images classified as Category C, 96 images categorized as Category B, and 72 of the most severe Category A images. These images were recovered from backup files, indicating that Ball had been engaging in this illegal activity over a period of time and was attempting to distance himself from his past behavior by moving to a new location. At the time of his arrest, Ball was actively involved in coaching youth football, specifically with the Fair City 2010 boys' team. It was also revealed that shortly after his arrest, he attempted to join the Jeanfield Swifts football club, raising further concerns about his ongoing involvement with youth sports.

During his court appearance, Ball’s solicitor, Rosalyn McTaggart, provided some context regarding his mental state, stating that he had experienced trauma around the time he began offending. However, she did not elaborate further on the nature of this trauma. She also emphasized that all the illicit images had been recovered from backup files, suggesting that this was a pattern of historic behavior rather than ongoing activity. Ball had since relocated and expressed a desire to start anew, distancing himself from his previous actions.

It was also disclosed that Ball had previously admitted to possessing these images between March 2013 and September 2018, with the downloading of such material occurring from 2013 to 2015. Sheriff Lindsay Foulis clarified during the sentencing that Ball was not involved in any direct contact offenses with children. Nonetheless, he emphasized the serious nature of viewing such images, noting that it incentivizes abusers and contributes to the cycle of child exploitation.

Given that Ball was a first-time offender and was relatively young at the time of the offenses, the sheriff sentenced him to be registered as a sex offender for two years. Additionally, he was placed under supervision for the same period. As part of his rehabilitation, Ball is required to complete a sex offenders treatment program and perform 160 hours of unpaid community service.

Following the court’s findings, police discovered more than 650 images at Ball’s home. Both the Fair City and Jeanfield football clubs, which had associations with Ball, immediately launched reviews of their involvement. All references to Ball have been removed from their websites, and Fair City confirmed that Ball had undergone PVG checks and was not left alone with children at Jeanfield. Despite these precautions, concerns persisted regarding his previous connections with youth teams and the potential risks involved.