A former gymnastics coach in the United States, Sean Gardner, has been sentenced to 90 years in federal prison for secretly recording young female gymnasts undressing and using the bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Mississippi.
Gardner, 39, received the maximum sentence on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, after pleading guilty to three federal counts of producing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson ordered him to serve three consecutive 30-year prison terms, a sentence expected to keep him behind bars for the remainder of his life.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Gardner used his position as a gymnastics coach to gain access to children at a studio in Purvis, Mississippi, where he secretly recorded minors changing clothes and using the bathroom.
The offences occurred between December 2017 and April 2018, when Gardner installed a concealed camera in the facility’s restroom. Investigators later recovered recordings showing at least 10 young girls, some of whom were younger than 12.
The investigation took a significant step forward after authorities searched Gardner’s residence in Iowa and seized electronic devices. A forensic examination uncovered numerous videos and photographs depicting minors in states of undress.
According to an affidavit cited by CBS News, investigators recovered approximately 50 videos and 400 photographs as evidence.
The case emerged during a broader investigation into allegations of sexual abuse involving Gardner at gymnastics facilities in Iowa. He was arrested by the FBI in August 2025, several years after concerns about his conduct had reportedly been raised.
Gardner had previously worked at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa, an academy associated with the development of elite gymnasts and Olympic champions.
Former students subsequently made allegations of sexual misconduct against him in connection with his time at the facility. However, those separate Iowa allegations have not resulted in criminal charges against him.
The case has also raised questions about how gymnastics authorities responded to earlier warnings about Gardner’s behaviour.
According to reporting by CBS News and the Associated Press, a parent of a young gymnast and Gardner’s former employer in Mississippi had raised concerns with USA Gymnastics about his conduct in 2017 and 2018.
Gardner continued working in gymnastics before he was suspended from coaching in 2022 following allegations involving a student at the Iowa facility. Chow’s later dismissed him.
The reported delays in addressing concerns have fuelled wider questions about safeguarding procedures and the responsibility of sports organisations to protect children entrusted to their care.
Following Gardner’s sentencing, federal authorities stressed the importance of holding individuals accountable for exploiting children. The FBI has also established a channel for parents and potential victims to obtain information about the case and contact investigators.
The 90-year sentence concludes the federal criminal proceedings relating to the secret recordings, but questions surrounding the handling of earlier complaints and the separate allegations in Iowa remain part of the wider controversy.
The case has renewed calls for stronger safeguards in youth sports, including timely reporting of misconduct allegations, effective background checks and decisive action when concerns are raised about adults working closely with children.
