Key Points
- Nathan Berry, 38 years old and a swimming instructor from Llantwit Major, has received a prison term after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a minor and other crimes related to indecent images of children.
- Berry worked at Penarth Leisure Centre, reports the Penarth Times and South Wales Argus.
- Berry was arrested in March 2026 following the South Wales Police recovery of his mobile phone, which contained images of children.
- Berry informed the officers of the identities of the children, whose photos were on his phone, and their parents identified them.
- His mobile phone, when examined while he was on remand, contained information about the crime of sexual touching.
- Berry pleaded guilty to eight charges: four charges of taking indecent photographs, two charges of making indecent images, one charge of possessing prohibited images, and one charge of sexually assaulting a child below 13 years of age.
- According to the Cardiff Crown Court, Berry specifically targeted two minors due to their vulnerability. The minors are non-verbal.
- On 3 August, Berry was sentenced to five years and four months in prison, along with an extended license term of eight years.
- In addition, he was given a restraining order and a Sexual Harm
Cardiff (Wales Times) September 26, 2026 — A swimming teacher who worked at Penarth Leisure Centre has been jailed for more than five years after admitting the sexual assault of a child and a series of offences involving indecent images.
Nathan Berry, 38, from Llantwit Major, received a prison sentence of five years and four months at uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff Crown Court on 3 August, with an extended licence period of eight years. As reported by Nation.Cymru, Berry admitted eight offences: four counts of taking indecent photographs, two counts of making indecent images, one count of possessing prohibited images, and one count of sexually assaulting a child under 13.
The case was publicised this week by local titles including the Penarth Times and South Wales Argus, which reported that Berry had worked at Penarth Leisure Centre. South Wales Police confirmed that Berry was arrested in March 2026 and that his mobile phone was seized during the investigation.
How Did Police Identify the Children?
According to South Wales Police, officers found images of children on Berry’s phone after his arrest. Berry then provided police with the children’s names, and officers visited their parents, who identified their children in the photographs.
Nation.Cymru reported that the children involved are non-verbal. The report also stated that Cardiff Crown Court heard Berry had targeted two children because of their vulnerabilities.
Further examination of Berry’s telephone while he was on remand uncovered evidence connected with an offence of sexual touching. That evidence led to the sexual assault allegation to which he later pleaded guilty.
What Was Nathan Berry Sentenced For?
Berry pleaded guilty to eight offences, according to Nation.Cymru and court-record reporting. These comprised four counts of taking indecent photographs, two counts of making indecent images, one count of possessing prohibited images, and one count of sexually assaulting a child under 13.
He was sentenced on 3 August to five years and four months’ imprisonment. The court also imposed an extended licence period of eight years, meaning his supervision after release will last beyond the custodial term.
Berry was made subject to both a restraining order and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Under the order, he is prohibited from having any unsupervised contact or communication with a child under the age of 16.
Why Was the Case Publicised Later?
South Wales Police said the court outcome had not been publicised when Berry was sentenced in order to give the victims’ families time to process the legal proceedings and what had happened.
The force’s account of the case, published on 23 September, said Berry had been jailed for taking indecent images of children and sexually assaulting a child.
Detective Constable Julie Lewis, of South Wales Police, said Berry had “betrayed the trust of these children and their parents in the most dreadful way”.
“We hope the outcome at court goes some way in helping them to rebuild their ability to trust and feel safe again,” DC Lewis said. “This investigation demonstrates our commitment to safeguarding vulnerable people.”
What Did the Local Reports Say?
The Penarth Times reported on 26 September that Berry, who worked at Penarth Leisure Centre, had been jailed for child sexual abuse and taking indecent images. The South Wales Argus carried a matching report later the same day, also identifying him as a swimming teacher at the leisure centre.
Neither local report is stated in the available material to have named the victims or provided further identifying details. The police and Nation.Cymru accounts identify Berry as being from Llantwit Major and describe the offending as involving two vulnerable, non-verbal children.
Background of the Development
Berry was arrested in March 2026, when South Wales Police seized his mobile phone. Images of children were found on the device, and Berry supplied the children’s names to investigators.
After police contacted the children’s parents, the parents identified their children in the photographs. A later examination of the phone, carried out while Berry was on remand, revealed evidence relating to sexual touching.
The case was heard at Cardiff Crown Court, where Berry admitted the eight charges. Court-sentencing records listed the sexual assault of a child under 13 and recorded the sentence of five years and four months’ imprisonment with an eight-year extended licence period.
South Wales Police said the decision to delay publicising the sentencing reflected the need to protect the families’ ability to come to terms with the proceedings.
Prediction: What This Means for Families and Leisure Users
For parents and carers in Penarth and the wider Vale of Glamorgan, the case is likely to intensify scrutiny of safeguarding arrangements at swimming lessons, leisure centres and other activities where adults work closely with children. The sentence and court orders mean Berry will be subject to restrictions designed to prevent unsupervised contact with children after his release.
For operators of leisure facilities, the reporting may prompt renewed attention to recruitment checks, supervision, reporting routes and staff conduct policies. The police have framed the investigation as evidence of their commitment to safeguarding vulnerable people, and the outcome may encourage families to report concerns directly to statutory safeguarding agencies.
For survivors and affected families, the conviction and custodial sentence may provide a measure of legal accountability, although the police acknowledged that the families will still need time to rebuild trust and feel safe.
