Cincinnati soccer coach who hoarded child porn and shared 'vile and disgusting' videos of children being raped arrested
CINCINNATI, OHIO: An Ohio youth soccer coach has been arrested and charged after authorities found hundreds of images of graphic child pornography in his possession.
Police found more than 220 images and videos of child pornography on the laptop of 48-year-old Brian Hronek, of Monfort Heights East, a head coach of a Cincinnati West Soccer Club team in the Greater Cincinnati Soccer League during a search of his home, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Court documents filed in connection to the case state that in their search of his home, computer, and cell phone, investigators found images and videos—one of which was 48 minutes in length—where children as young as seven-months-old were being raped by adult men.
Amongst the images, some showed naked children tied to trees or beds, with one showing a naked one-year-old girl with "s***" and "b*****" written on the picture. They also found he had made more than 100 web searches containing "known child pornography terms" on his cell phone.
Hronek was charged with 10 counts of pandering child porn and pleaded not guilty to the offenses at his arraignment on October 17 at the Hamilton County Court.
Speaking at the hearing, Hamilton County prosecutor Dave Wood said, "The defendant had a file-sharing program on his home computer in which he was sharing child pornographic images and videos. Many of which he shared with sheriff’s deputies posing as private citizens."
He said the contents of the images and videos were "too vile and disgusting" for him to read out in court.
Judge Bernie Bouchard declined the defense's request for a reasonable bond and set it at $1 million, stating that "these are the worst allegations I’ve ever seen in 20-some years I’ve been doing this."
The 48-year-old has been relieved of his duties as head coach following his arrest.
Rick Blessing, Cincinnati West President, said he had passed all mandatory background checks required by the organization, as well as Ohio Youth Soccer, but that they had terminated his contract immediately after finding out about the allegations against him.
"Law enforcement indicated that none of our players were involved in the investigation," said Blessing. "Our Director of Coaching immediately relieved the coach of his duties with the club."