Ex-Gymnastics Coach Receives 90-Year Sentence for Secretly Recording Minors

A former gymnastics coach, Sean Gardner, has been sentenced to 90 years in federal prison for secretly recording young gymnasts in a bathroom. The sentencing took place in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and marks the conclusion of a significant investigation into Gardner's conduct.

According to the U. S. Attorney's Office, Gardner, 39, from West Des Moines, Iowa, used his position as a gymnastics coach in Purvis, Mississippi, to covertly film minors while they were changing clothes and using the bathroom.

The investigation began after the U. S. Center for SafeSport received reports of Gardner's inappropriate conduct with minor athletes.

SafeSport subsequently forwarded these allegations to law enforcement, prompting a joint investigation by the FBI and the West Des Moines Police Department.

During the investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Gardner's residence in Iowa, where they seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic examination of these devices uncovered numerous images and videos of minors, some under the age of 12, in states of undress. These recordings were made using a concealed camera, and several were determined to have been filmed in a restroom at the gym in Purvis where Gardner was employed. The evidence included files dated as early as 2017 and 2018, and investigators were able to identify several of the minors depicted as former gymnastics students.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Purdie and Lee Smith and was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. "Today’s sentence sends an undeniable message: those who prey on our children will be found, prosecuted, and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," stated United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger.

Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI emphasized the gravity of Gardner's actions, noting that Gardner "committed horrific and unforgivable acts, manipulating and abusing children while betraying the profound trust their families placed in him." Eikhoff assured that the FBI, in collaboration with law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure that predators are identified, stopped, and held fully accountable.

The FBI has set up a website to provide resources and further information for parents of children who may have been under Gardner's instruction. This case highlights the ongoing efforts of Project Safe Childhood to protect children from exploitation and to bring perpetrators to justice.