Coach Secretly Recorded Young Female Gymnasts Undressing, A US Court Sentenced Him To 90 Years In Prison

Last Updated:October 15, 2026, 10:34 IST

Several lawsuits remain pending against the coach, USA Gymnastics and Chow’s Gymnastics.

Sean Gardner (left) pleaded guilty to placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio. (AP Photo)

A federal court in Mississippi sentenced former youth gymnastics coach Sean Gardner to 90 years in prison on Wednesday after he admitted to secretly filming young female gymnasts while they undressed and used a bathroom at a gymnastics facility. The case has drawn renewed scrutiny of athlete protection measures within the sport.

U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson imposed the maximum prison term permitted, assigning 30 years to each of three federal charges of child pornography production to which Gardner pleaded guilty.

Gardner, 39, is expected to spend the remainder of his life in prison under the sentence.

According to the guilty plea, Gardner installed a concealed camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, and used it to record students between December 2017 and April 2018.

Investigators later recovered videos from his computers showing close-up images of at least 10 minors who were naked or in the process of undressing. The files were discovered years afterward during an investigation into allegations that Gardner sexually abused gymnasts in Iowa.

In Iowa, former students of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines have accused Gardner of exploiting his coaching role to target them. The allegations were made to police and in civil lawsuits.

The institute was established by Liang “Chow” Qiao, a prominent coach associated with Olympic champions.

Gardner worked with several promising young gymnasts and directed an annual winter competition in Iowa that attracted hundreds of participants.

He has not been charged in connection with the allegations involving Iowa.

Police have indicated that they will assess how to proceed once the federal proceedings have concluded.

Separate concerns have been raised about the response of the sport’s governing and oversight organizations. Attorneys representing some of the women have alleged that USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport were informed of Gardner’s inappropriate conduct in 2017 but did not act to remove him from the sport for years.

In 2022, after a gymnast from Chow’s alleged sexual abuse, SafeSport imposed a temporary suspension on Gardner. Chow’s also terminated his employment that year.

SafeSport has stated that its investigation found Chow and other coaches had known about allegations of sexual misconduct involving Gardner but did not report them to the center, as its policies required.

Multiple civil lawsuits involving Gardner, USA Gymnastics and Chow’s Gymnastics remain pending.

With AP Inputs

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What sentence did Sean Gardner receive in federal court?

U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson sentenced former youth gymnastics coach Sean Gardner to 90 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to three federal charges of child pornography production.

Where did Sean Gardner secretly record female gymnasts?

Gardner installed a concealed camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, and used it to record students undressing between December 2017 and April 2018.

What allegations were made against Sean Gardner in Iowa?

Former students of Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines accused Gardner of exploiting his coaching role to sexually abuse them, though he has not been criminally charged in Iowa.

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Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More

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