Former gymnastics coach Sean Gardner was sentenced to 90 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three charges involving secretly recording minors undressing and using a bathroom at a Mississippi gym. (Credit: Getty Images)
PURVIS, Mississippi - A former youth gymnastics coach was sentenced to 90 years in federal prison Wednesday for secretly recording young female gymnasts undressing and using the bathroom at a Mississippi gym.
Gymnastics coach sentenced to prison for secretly recording girls
Big picture view:
U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson handed down the maximum possible sentence to Sean Gardner, 39, ordering him to serve 30 years for each of three federal child pornography production charges to which he pleaded guilty.
The sentence is likely to keep Gardner behind bars for the rest of his life.
Sean Gardner admits to placing hidden camera in bathroom
The backstory:
Gardner admitted to placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018.
Investigators said he recorded videos showing close-up images of at least 10 minors who were naked or undressing. Authorities recovered the videos from his computers years later while investigating allegations of sexual abuse involving gymnasts in Iowa.
Before his arrest, Gardner was a prominent figure in youth gymnastics. He coached at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa, founded by renowned coach Liang "Chow" Qiao, who has helped develop Olympic champions. Gardner worked with several promising young gymnasts and directed an annual winter competition in Iowa that attracted hundreds of athletes.
SafeSport temporarily suspended Gardner in 2022 after a gymnast at Chow’s alleged sexual abuse. Chow’s fired him that year. Gardner was arrested last summer by the FBI.
Case brings back renewed scrutiny around athlete safety
Why you should care:
His arrest has renewed scrutiny of USA Gymnastics and other organizations responsible for protecting young athletes from abuse by coaches in positions of authority.
An Associated Press investigation found that concerns about Gardner dated back to 2017, yet the U.S. Center for SafeSport did not sanction him until 2022. The investigation also raised questions about why a proposed lifetime coaching ban was not finalized before his arrest in 2025.
RELATED: Disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar stabbed multiple times at Florida prison
The parallels to the Larry Nassar scandal center on institutional accountability. The Nassar scandal exposed serious failures by organizations and officials who received warnings about the former USA Gymnastics team doctor's abuse. Nassar sexually abused more than 100 victims under the guise of medical treatment, and a 2021 Justice Department inspector general report criticized the FBI's handling of allegations against him.
Nassar is serving decades in prison for convictions in state and federal courts.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Los Angeles. Previous FOX Local reporting contributed.