Matthew Coward jailed for child abuse image offences in Dublin

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Matthew Coward was jailed for four years, with the final year suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sexual exploitation and producing child abuse images, as reported on 21 November 2023.

The offences involved secretly recording three children as they changed at a Dublin swimming pool over 12 months.

Judge Orla Crowe described Coward’s actions as a considerable breach of trust and said the children had suffered devastating consequences.

Coward pleaded guilty to the offences, which took place between September 2021 and September 2022.