Former Gymnastics Coach Sentenced to 90 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “Hattiesburg, MS – A former gymnastics coach was sentenced today in federal court to 90 years in prison for secretly videoing young gymnasts in the bathroom of a gym where he coached. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sean Gardner, 39, of West Des Moines, Iowa, used his access to children as a gymnastics coach in Purvis, Mississippi to surreptitiously record minors changing clothes and using the bathroom. The investigation began after reports were made to the U.S. Center for SafeSport alleging that Gardner, while working as a gymnastics coach, engaged in inappropriate conduct involving minor athletes. SafeSport forwarded the allegations to law enforcement, which led to a joint investigation by local and federal authorities. During the execution of a search warrant at Gardner’s Iowa residence, law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed numerous images and videos depicting minor children – some under the age of 12 – in states of undress that appeared to have been recorded using a concealed camera. Investigators determined that several of the recordings were made in a restroom at a gym in Purvis, Mississippi, where Gardner previously worked. The evidence included multiple files dated as early as 2017 and 2018, and investigators identified several of the minors depicted as former gymnastics students. If you are a parent of a child that has at any point been under the instruction of Gardner, the FBI has set up a website to provide you with resources and further information about this case: https://forms.fbi.gov/see”