Howard Co. Gymnastics Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Distribution

Howard County youth gymnastics coach Paul Daniel Bollinger, 57, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in federal court to distributing child pornography — a crime that exposed a decades-long facade of mentorship built atop a secret obsession with underage girls. Bollinger, who coached youth gymnastics in Maryland for over 30 years, admitted to sharing graphic files via peer-to-peer software, directly exploiting the same age group he was trusted to train.

According to court documents, on May 15, 2016, Bollinger used file-sharing software to distribute videos containing child pornography. An undercover Baltimore County Police detective downloaded at least 10 such files. Just ten days later, on May 25, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Bollinger’s home, where they found a desktop computer actively sharing files with titles clearly indicating child sexual abuse material. The monitor’s wallpaper displayed a naked female child lying on her stomach.

Inside Bollinger’s home, investigators seized more than 40,000 image files and over 100 video files of child pornography from his computer and external drives. Shockingly, detectives discovered over 100 pages of handwritten stories next to his bed — detailed fantasies of adult men engaging in sex with young children. The material was not hidden; it was stored in plain reach, revealing a brazen disregard for decency and the law.

During questioning, Bollinger admitted his dependency on child pornography, calling it an obsession that began around 1990. He confessed to having sexual thoughts about an 8- to 12-year-old girl he coached, stating he was attracted to the ‘body type’ of the young gymnasts under his supervision. While he denied any physical contact with children, his admission laid bare the predatory mindset behind years of proximity to vulnerable minors.

Bollinger now faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis has scheduled sentencing for March 3, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. Bollinger remains in custody without bond, his reputation and career obliterated by his own admissions and the digital trail he left behind.

The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation. U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI, Baltimore County Police, HSI Baltimore, and the State’s Attorney’s Office for their relentless pursuit of justice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Maddox is handling the prosecution, ensuring that Bollinger’s crimes — hidden in plain sight for years — will finally meet their reckoning in court.