Description
A sports coach was found with indecent images of child abuse after police seized his mobile phone, which contained search terms like "young gymnast" and "girl cheerleaders."
Ciaran Bright, 30, was visited by officers at his Cardiff home on July 25, 2025, following a South Wales Police investigation triggered by a referral from social media company Kik about an individual uploading such images.
At a sentencing hearing Friday at Cardiff Magistrates' Court, prosecutors said a seized phone revealed two category A images, two category B images, and four category C images, downloaded between April 2 and July 18, 2025. Search terms included "young gymnast," "girl cheerleaders," and "children on leashes."
Bright, of Pennsylvania, Pentwyn, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. The court heard he had previous good character.
On LinkedIn, Bright described himself as a director of SportsXtra, working with clubs including Cardiff City FC and Swansea City FC.
In mitigation, the court heard his life had "spiralled" due to drug use, but he is addressing it. He has lost his career, is unemployed, has supportive family, and showed no evidence of direct child contact.
Bright received a nine-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, plus a 14-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work. He must comply with sex offender notification requirements and a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
A SportsXtra spokesperson said:
"We are very shocked by this news, and are deeply dismayed that Ciaran has behaved in such a deplorable way.
"Safeguarding is our highest priority and as soon as we learned about the allegations against Ciaran we immediately suspended him, in line with our procedures, and ensured he had no further contact with young people.
"We remain committed to maintaining the trust placed in us and continue to review our safeguarding policies to ensure the strongest possible protections are in place."