DES MOINES, Iowa – In a chilling revelation, former gymnastics coach Sean Michael Gardner is facing federal charges of sexual exploitation of children. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now scrambling to identify any potential victims of the 38-year-old suspect.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Gardner placed a hidden camera in a gym bathroom in Purvis, Mississippi, from December 2017 to April 2018. The despicable act captured numerous minors in various states of undress, including intimate and graphic images.
Gardner relocated to Iowa in 2018, taking up coaching duties at a gym in West Des Moines. His downfall came when the West Des Moines Police Department conducted a search of his apartment in late May 2025. A forensic examination of Gardner’s electronic devices revealed the sinister recordings from the Mississippi gym bathroom.
Currently, Gardner remains detained in federal custody as proceedings unfold in the Southern District of Mississippi. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa confirmed the charges against Gardner.
The investigation is being conducted by a multi-agency task force, including the FBI-Child Exploitation Task Force, FBI-Jackson Mississippi Division, Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the West Des Moines Police Department. Those who believe they may have been victimized or know someone who was are urged to contact the FBI via this link.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the pervasive nature of child exploitation and the need for vigilant law enforcement to protect our youth.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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