Gymnastics coach who recorded girls in Mississippi gym's bathroom sentenced to 90 years in prison

Key Points:

• Sean Gardner, a former youth gymnastics coach, was sentenced to 90 years in prison for secretly recording young female gymnasts undressing and using the bathroom at a Mississippi gym, receiving the maximum sentence for three federal child pornography production charges.
• Gardner placed hidden cameras in a gym bathroom between December 2017 and April 2018, creating videos of at least 10 minors naked or undressing, with investigators seizing about 50 videos and 400 photos from his residence.
• Several former students at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in Iowa have accused Gardner of sexual abuse, though he has not been charged for these allegations; authorities are awaiting the conclusion of the federal case before proceeding.
• USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport have faced criticism for failing to act on reports of Gardner's inappropriate behavior as early as 2017, with SafeSport suspending Gardner only in 2022 after abuse allegations surfaced.
• Former students described Gardner's grooming behavior as normalized and manipulative, with some alleging inappropriate touching and misconduct during training, highlighting ongoing concerns about athlete safety and oversight in gymnastics.