Former MMA writer Iain Kidd convicted of child pornography-related charges

Former Bloody Elbow writer Iain Kidd was convicted of downloading and possessing child pornography in Sept. 2018, according to Evening Times, a Glasgow, Scotland, periodical. Kidd, a Scottish international mixed martial arts (MMA) freelance writer for the website, was terminated on Dec. 8, 2018, immediately after Bloody Elbow and SB Nation senior management were alerted to his crimes.

SB Nation, which owns and operates a network of almost 300 sports-themed websites, including Bloody Elbow and MMA Mania, issued the following statement:

“On Friday night, Bloody Elbow became aware of news reports linking one of our writers to criminal activities including possession of child pornography. As a result, Bloody Elbow and SB Nation terminated his contract that same day. SB Nation and Bloody Elbow strongly condemn the types of activities reported and encourage our readers and listeners to visit Protect Children in Canada, Stop It Now in Scotland, and Darkness 2 Light in the United States for more information to support survivors.”

Kidd, 30, carried out his crimes — downloading and possessing indecent images of children, as well as possessing extreme pornographic images — between 2005 and 2017, according to PlanetRadio.co.uk. That same report revealed that a search of Kidd’s computer and hard drives uncovered that he had almost 984 still images and 496 moving, as well as 7,689 pictures of “extreme pornography.” The images ranged from Category C to Category A (the most severe).

Kidd avoided jail. However, he will have to adhere to a “Community Payback Order” with supervision for three years as a direct alternative to custody, as well as a “Restriction of Liberty Order,” according to Evening Times. That means he must remain at home between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. for six months. In addition, he was placed on the “Sex Offenders’ Register” for three years and is not allowed unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16. He has been banned from using the Firefox web browser and must make his Internet history available instantly on request.

Kidd was known in MMA circles for his work on Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) use, with his work referenced by many in the community, including this writer.