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'What have I done?': Swim Ireland coach secretly filmed girls
Summary
Matthew Coward, a 32‑year‑old Swim Ireland coach, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of girls and multiple counts of child pornography production for offences between September 2021 and February 2022. He secretly filmed girls changing in his office, using a phone and a chair‑sectioned area to facilitate the acts. Three girls were harmed; one broke down in her father's car after learning she had been recorded while trying on "swimming skins." Coward's devices yielded nearly 80 videos, including two child abuse material clips and seven inappropriate videos, plus search histories linked to teenage pornography. He was arrested in May 2022, stood down as a coach, and later worked as a Starbucks night manager. Coward expressed remorse, wrote apologies, and the court noted his guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, and the impact on his family. The case was remanded on bail with a final hearing scheduled for November 21.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'What have I done?': Swim Ireland coach secretly filmed girls. Charges or matters: three counts of the sexual exploitation of three girls and a number of counts of production of child pornography on dates between September 1, 2021, and February 26, 2022; think about a trial". Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial
When:
- September 1, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 26, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 3, 2022 Incident
- November 21 Adjournment
- 2023-11-10 Publication
Why: Garda Sergeant Shane Behan told Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, that the first injured party had become upset on the way home from swimming practice and told her father that Coward gave her a pair of "swimming skins" to try on in his office and told her that she would need to get "completely naked" in order to try them on. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: three counts of the sexual exploitation of three girls and a number of counts of production of child pornography on dates between September 1, 2021, and February 26, 2022; think about a trial" (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She remanded Coward on continuing bail and adjourned the case for finalisation to November 21.
Places mentioned
Topics
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