Former Iowa Gymnastics Coach Arrested on Child Pornography Charges After Long-Term Investigation
A former coach at a prominent Iowa youth gymnastics academy, recognized for nurturing Olympic champions, has been apprehended for possessing a substantial cache of child pornography subsequent to allegations of sexual assault involving young athletes.
Sean Gardner, 38, was taken into custody by the FBI after officials searched his residence, where they discovered hundreds of images of minors. This operation stemmed from an inquiry into inappropriate conduct with gymnasts at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines.
Investigators believe Gardner specifically targeted young gymnasts across facilities in Iowa, Mississippi, and Louisiana during a decade-long tenure that concluded in 2014, as stated by the FBI to the Associated Press.
Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute notably trained Olympians Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas, who each secured gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Games.
Authorities have been tracking Gardner for several years. The West Des Moines Police initiated an investigation in March 2022 following a report made to the U.S. Center for SafeSport—a body responsible for handling misconduct claims in Olympic sports—by a minor gymnast concerning Gardner’s behavior at Chow’s.
The gymnast reported that Gardner engaged in inappropriate touching during practice sessions, posed invasive personal questions about their sexual lives, and employed derogatory language, labeling them with terms such as “idiots,” “sluts,” and “whores.”
In July 2022, four months after the complaint, the SafeSport database recorded Gardner’s suspension due to "allegations of misconduct."
Subsequent to this suspension, he was removed from his position at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute. The investigation was temporarily halted when the initial victim chose not to pursue legal action, but it resumed in April 2024 after another gymnast provided new allegations.
This second victim detailed that she began training with Gardner around the ages of 11 or 12 and considered him a “father figure.” She asserted that Gardner had repeatedly inappropriately touched her during workouts, recorded her while she performed certain stretches, and openly discussed his sexual experiences with her.
Approximately 16 months after the initial report was filed, the West Des Moines Police Department secured a warrant to search Gardner’s home. During the May 2024 raid, authorities confiscated multiple electronic devices, revealing a substantial collection of videos and photographs depicting girls aged 6 to 14 in various states of undress, taken without consent at Jump’In Gymnastics in Purvis, Mississippi, between 2017 and 2018, according to court documents.
Additionally, investigators found handwritten notes exchanged between Gardner and former students during the search.
The gym in Louisiana, Athletes in Motion, where Gardner was employed from 2004 to 2014, has been alerted to the allegations and is collaborating with authorities.
After his suspension, Gardner briefly worked as a surgical technologist at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center before being let go, as confirmed by hospital spokesperson Todd Mizener.
Currently, Gardner is held at the Polk County Jail and made his first court appearance in Des Moines on charges of producing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He is anticipated to be extradited to Mississippi to address charges there, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
The FBI continues to investigate in an effort to uncover any additional potential victims. Should he be convicted, Gardner faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
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