A Cardiff University employee has been named in an American civil lawsuit against the Salvation Army in which it is claimed he abused a child. The university says it is "looking into" a lawsuit which alleges its impact officer Joel Collier groomed a girl from the age of 14.

According to his social media the 35-year-old joined the university in June 2023 having previously worked in the US. A job advert from that year indicates the impact officer role paid up to £43,155 annually and involved working with academics "to develop the impact of their research".

Last week a 23-year-old woman brought a lawsuit in Kentucky stating that Mr Collier met her in early 2017 at a Salvation Army music camp where he taught. The lawsuit claims the Salvation Army’s New York-headquartered eastern territory had fired Mr Collier in 2014 over "sexually graphic texts with a minor female" and had placed him on an internal register of people suspected of abuse. It alleges that another branch of the charitable organisation – the southern territory – then hired him in 2015 which allegedly enabled him to abuse the claimant.

Mr Collier, who became a music director for the Kentucky and Tennessee division, is alleged to have "sexually victimised" the claimant from the age of 14 including sending her sexually explicit text messages and "coercing" her into sending him "intimate" photos of herself. She claims that when she was 17 he "fondled" her vagina while he was driving a Salvation Army equipment truck. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

"Over time the graphic nature of Joel Collier's messages to [the claimant] intensified to the point that he was telling her what type of sexual acts he expected from her when she turned 18," the claim reads. "In fact Joel Collier made it very clear to her that she would need to perform these sexual acts if she wanted to remain in his good favour."

In March 2020, on the day the claimant turned 18, Mr Collier is alleged to have texted her unsolicited footage of himself masturbating and later that year "repeatedly initiated sexual contact". The lawsuit continues: "In December 2020 she attempted to take her own life as a result of Collier’s ongoing abuse.

"Over the course of the next two years – as a result of Collier’s common scheme and plan of dismantling her capacity to consent and sexually victimising her beginning when she was 14 years old – Collier repeatedly sexually abused her. This included non-consensual intercourse and perverse, violent, and obscene sexual acts at various locations in Kentucky and Tennessee including on property owned by the southern territory."

Mr Collier allegedly told the claimant to "describe herself in great physical detail when she was a child between the ages of seven and nine" and to send him pictures of herself as a young child. The claim alleges he told her it was "normal for men to have paedophilic kinks and fetishes but they had unfortunately become taboo in our society". He sent her "numerous photographs of child pornography that he found online" and asked her to pick a “favourite”, the filing alleges.

The claimant is seeking damages from the Salvation Army for alleged negligence in hiring and failures in their duty to protect children. Mr Collier has not responded to our approach for comment although the US broadcaster NBC News reports that Mr Collier said he had not read the allegations “but I hope we’re able to find a swift resolution to them”.

A Cardiff University spokesman told WalesOnline: "The NBC article regarding a lawsuit in the USA and allegations concerning an individual who is now a member of staff have been drawn to our attention. The university is looking into the serious matters raised and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

Mr Collier has been ditched from his role as principal baritone of the Cory Band, one of the world's most decorated brass bands, based in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf. In a statement the band said: "Cory Band understands that a lawsuit has been filed in Kentucky, USA, against the Salvation Army and contains serious allegations concerning the behaviour of Joel Collier prior to his arrival in the UK. While Joel is not a defendant in these proceedings his membership has been immediately terminated by agreement."

The claimant's lawyer Boz Tchividjian said: "This should have never happened. Had the Salvation Army followed its own policies [the claimant] would have never been targeted and groomed and victimised.” We have approached the Salvation Army for comment.

According to a job advert Cardiff University's impact officer role involves "raising awareness of impact opportunities, delivering a programme of training, mobilising funding, and supporting academic staff to deliver high-quality impact activities based on their research".