Secretly Filmed Minor Athletes: New Scandal Rocks American Sports

A US court sentenced a former gymnastics coach to 90 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to secretly filming underage female athletes while they changed clothes and used restrooms inside a sports center, in a case that has reignited questions about the failure of sports institutions to protect minors from sexual violations.

Federal Judge Kristi Johnson issued the verdict against Sean Gardner, 39, on Wednesday, following his guilty plea to three counts related to the production of child sexual exploitation material.

The court sentenced him to 30 years for each count, to be served consecutively, totaling 90 years, a punishment that effectively amounts to life imprisonment.

Hidden Camera Reveals Crime

According to investigations, Gardner admitted to placing a hidden camera inside a restroom at a gymnastics center in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018.

He used the camera to film his students without their knowledge, and investigators later found recordings involving at least 10 minors on electronic devices belonging to him.

The discovery of the recordings occurred during separate investigations into allegations made by former athletes in Iowa, before the US Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested him last summer.

Other Allegations and Early Warnings

Several former athletes accused Gardner of exploiting his position to sexually assault them while working at the "Chao Gymnastics and Dance Institute" in West Des Moines, Iowa.

The athletes provided statements to the police and filed civil lawsuits, but no criminal charges have been brought against Gardner regarding these incidents so far.

The coach was a well-known name in youth training, overseeing the development of promising talents, and organized an annual championship that attracted hundreds of players.

The case sparked controversy over how sports authorities handled previous reports, after lawyers for some women stated that USA Gymnastics and the Center for SafeSport received warnings about Gardner's behavior as early as 2017, without taking sufficient action to remove him.

In 2022, the Center for SafeSport temporarily suspended the coach following accusations of assaulting one athlete, while the Chao Institute decided to fire him.

An investigation by the center revealed that the institute's founder and other coaches were aware of allegations concerning sexual misconduct but failed to report them to the relevant authorities despite being obligated to do so.

While the secret filming case ended with a harsh sentence, questions remain regarding the early warnings, and whether handling them more seriously could have protected other athletes from alleged abuses.