Sean Gardner, a former youth gymnastics coach, received a 90-year prison sentence on Wednesday after being convicted of secretly recording young female students at a Mississippi gym. U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson gave Gardner the maximum sentence possible. Gardner, 39, pleaded guilty to three federal charges of child pornography production, resulting in 30 years for each charge.
The FBI arrested Gardner last summer, as reported by the Associated Press. This case added to the scrutiny of U.S. gymnastics concerning the protection of athletes from abuse, following the high-profile Larry Nassar case, where Nassar was convicted of assaulting at least 265 young athletes over 22 years.
Gardner admitted to placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018 to record his students. Investigations revealed videos showing at least 10 minors undressing, discovered on Gardner’s computers during a probe into abuse allegations in Iowa.
Former students at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in Iowa alleged that Gardner preyed on them using his coaching position. Gardner was a significant coach at the institute, known for nurturing Olympic talent, founded by Liang “Chow” Qiao.
Although uncharged for the Iowa incidents, authorities are awaiting the outcome of the federal case to decide future actions. Some women in the federal case reported that USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport were informed of Gardner’s actions in 2017 but did not act to remove him for years.
Gardner was suspended in 2022 after a gymnast accused him of sexual abuse, leading to his dismissal from Chow’s. SafeSport’s investigation showed some coaches were aware of the allegations but did not report them.
Lawsuits continue against Gardner, USA Gymnastics, and Chow’s Gymnastics.
This information includes contributions from the Associated Press.