Federal child porn allegations have led to the arrest of a former gymnastics coach who was initially accused of abuse over three years ago.
On Friday, Sean Gardner, 38, appeared in court for the first time on a charge of creating graphic representations of children engaged in sexually explicit behavior.
Gardner has held positions at the renowned Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa, and Jump In Gymnastics in Purvis, Mississippi. In the world of young gymnastics, the Iowa facility is well-known for having trained American gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas.
According to the feds, Gardner secretly recorded many others in a bathroom at this Mississippi job and sexually assaulted three young gymnasts at Chow’s gym.
According to charging documents, Gardner’s desktop computer, laptop, and cellphone were taken by local police during a May raid on his West Des Moines residence. Numerous images and videos of girls, estimated to be between the ages of 6 and 14, changing into leotards and using the restroom were discovered, according to authorities.
A girl training at Chow’s gym filed the first official complaint against Gardner in March 2022, alleging that he purposefully employed improper spotting techniques in order to inappropriately touch her. The U.S. Center for Safesport, a highly criticized abuse watchdog established following the Larry Nassar crisis, was notified of the claim.
By August 2022, SafeSport had prohibited Gardner from any interactions with athletes after receiving a second report from another girl.
The criminal case against Gardner failed because neither of the girls was prepared to speak to the authorities about his actions. Only until a third claimed victim contacted local authorities in April 2024 was it reopened.
When she was training at Chow’s gym, the now-18-year-old told police that Gardner had sexually assaulted her. Her claims restarted the case against Gardner, and 16 months later, he was arrested.
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