Sean Gardner, 39, of West Des Moines, Iowa, received three consecutive 30-year prison terms after pleading guilty to three counts of producing child s+xual ab¥se material, according to court records.
U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson also ordered Gardner to serve a lifetime of supervised release after his prison term and pay approximately $9,290 in restitution to the victims. He was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to federal prosecutors, Gardner abused his position of trust as a gymnastics coach to secretly record minors at a facility in Purvis, Mississippi, where he worked between 2017 and 2018.
The investigation began after allegations of inappropriate conduct involving minor athletes were reported to the U.S. Center for SafeSport. The organisation referred the matter to law enforcement, leading to a joint investigation by local and federal authorities.
During a search of Gardner’s residence in Iowa, investigators seized several electronic devices. A forensic examination reportedly uncovered numerous images and videos of children, including some younger than 12, captured while changing clothes or partially undressed.
Prosecutors said some of the recordings were made in a bathroom at the Mississippi gym using a concealed camera. Investigators also identified several of the children as former students at the facility.
Gardner was arrested by the FBI in August 2025 and pleaded guilty in May 2026 to the three federal charges.
“This is one of the most reprehensible crimes prosecuted by my office,” U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger said when announcing Gardner’s guilty plea.
“Coach Sean Gardner exploited his position to abuse and exploit those children he was entrusted to mentor and care for,” he added.
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