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Politics · October 14, 2026

Gymnastics coach gets 90 years in girls bathroom recordings case

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Sean Gardner, a 39-year-old former youth gymnastics coach, was sentenced to 90 years in prison for secretly recording young female students in a bathroom at a Mississippi gym. Gardner pleaded guilty to three federal child pornography production charges, each carrying a 30-year sentence. The recordings, made between 2017 and 2018, were discovered during an investigation into separate sexual abuse allegations involving Gardner's time at a prominent gym in Iowa. The case has reignited criticism of USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport for allegedly failing to act on reports of Gardner's behavior as early as 2017.

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Reported across the spectrum

  • Sean Gardner was sentenced to 90 years in prison (30 years for each of three federal counts).
  • Gardner pleaded guilty to federal child pornography production charges.
  • The crimes occurred at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018.
  • Gardner recorded at least 10 minors using a hidden camera in a bathroom.
  • The recordings were discovered while investigating allegations of sexual abuse in Iowa.
  • USA Gymnastics and SafeSport reportedly received warnings about Gardner's behavior years before his 2022 suspension.
  • Gardner was a coach at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in Iowa, founded by Liang 'Chow' Qiao.

Reported by only some outlets

  • FBI investigators seized approximately 50 videos and 400 photos from Gardner's residence.
  • One victim reported a ritual of Gardner kissing students on the forehead and patting them on the butt after practice.
  • A mother and a former boss in Mississippi sent specific emails to USA Gymnastics about 'grooming behavior' in January 2018.
  • Gardner allegedly asked teenage girls about their sex lives and touched them inappropriately during training in Iowa.

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