Latest news with #Chow'sGymnasticsandDanceInstitute
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Ex-coach at top Iowa gymnastics academy arrested on child pornography charges years after he was first accused of sexual abuse
An ex-coach at a renowned Iowa youth gymnastics academy known for producing top Olympians was arrested for having a trove of child pornography years after he was accused of sexually assaulting multiple young athletes. Sean Gardner, 38, was busted by the FBI for producing child pornography materials after authorities raided his home, finding hundreds of images of children, following an investigation into inappropriate contact with gymnasts at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines. It's believed Gardner 'primarily targeted children' at the gyms in Iowa, Mississippi, and one in Louisiana, where he worked for 10 years until 2014, the FBI told the Associated Press Tuesday. 4 Sean Gardner's mugshot was taken on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. AP Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute previously trained Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. Investigators had been on the alleged creep gymnast coach's trail for years. The West Des Moines Police began investigating Gardner in March 2022 after an Iowa gymnast reported his conduct at Chow's to the US Center for SafeSport, which oversees sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports. The gymnast — a minor at the time — claimed Gardner would rub his hands in inappropriate places while helping young female gymnasts practice routines, would ask them personal questions like if they were sexually active, and used sexually degrading language towards them, calling them names like 'idiots, sluts, and whores,' the Associated Press reported. In July 2022, four months after the gymnast's report, the SafeSport database shows Gardner was suspended for 'allegations of misconduct.' 4 Gardner was busted by the FBI for producing child pornography materials after authorities raided his home following an investigation into inappropriate contact with gymnasts at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines. AP Gardner was suspended from Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute following SafeSport's suspension. The victim chose not to prosecute, pausing the investigation until a second gymnast came forward with new allegations in April 2024. The second victim claimed that she started taking lessons from Gardner when she was 11 or 12 years old in 2019 and viewed him as a 'father figure.' She claimed Gardner had repeatedly touched her inappropriately during exercises, made her perform inappropriate stretches, which he recorded on his phone, and discussed his sex life with her. About 16 months after reporting his alleged disturbing behavior, the West Des Moines Police Department obtained a warrant to search Gardner's home. Law enforcement seized several electronic devices from Gardner's home in May 2024, finding hundreds of videos and images of girls, ages 6 to 14, nude, changing, or using the bathroom—believed to have been filmed on a hidden camera at Jump'In Gymnastics in Purvis, Mississippi, between 2017 and 2018, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press. Handwritten notes between Gardner and his former students were also found in the search. 4 Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute previously trained Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012. AP Athletes in Motion, the Louisiana gym where Gardner worked from 2004 to 2014, was notified of the allegations and is cooperating with investigators. Following his suspension, Gardner landed a job as a surgical technologist at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center in Des Moines in May 2024. Hospital spokesperson Todd Mizener stated that Gardner is no longer employed there. 4 A mugshot from Gardner's arrest for a drunken driving offense in 2021. AP Gardner is being detained at the Polk County Jail and made his initial court appearance in Des Moines on Friday on a charge of producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He is expected to be transported to Mississippi to face the charge there, the US Marshals Service told the Associated Press. The FBI is also seeking to identify any other potential victims. Gardner faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. with Post wires
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Ex-gymnastics coach at prestigious Iowa academy arrested on child porn charges
DES MOINES — A former coach at a prestigious Iowa gymnastics academy known for training Olympic athletes is facing federal charges for child pornography amid allegations of misconduct with young female gymnasts across two states. Sean Gardner appeared in court this week on federal charges alleging he used a hidden camera to record underage gymnasts changing at a gym where he worked in Purvis, a small city in southern Mississippi. He later took a job in West Des Moines, Iowa, at the Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute, a program famed for training several gold-medal Olympians, including Shawn Johnson East. Police found incriminating images at Gardner's home amid an investigation into inappropriate contact with gymnasts at Chow's, according to court documents obtained by the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. The charges on which Gardner appeared in Mississippi, first reported by the Associated Press on Aug. 19, involve videos and images allegedly taken with a hidden camera at the Mississippi gym. Sgt. Dan Wade, a spokesman for West Des Moines police, said the department's investigation remains ongoing and declined to comment on whether additional charges would be sought in Iowa. The Polk County Attorney's Office also declined to comment on possible charges. Chow Gymnastics and Dance owner Liang Chow did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Minor accused Sean Gardner of inappropriately touching her According to court filings, the West Des Moines police investigation began in March 2022 when an Iowa gymnast reported that Gardner had inappropriately touched her during training at Chow's, starting in September 2018 and continuing until she left in 2020. The gymnast, who was a minor at the time, reported Gardner would place and rub his hands in inappropriate places while helping young female gymnasts learn routines; ask them if they were sexually active; and use sexually degrading language about them. The initial reports were made to the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which passed on the reports to West Des Moines police. But Wade said the initial victim did not want to pursue prosecution, leaving the investigation "on hold" until a second gymnast came forward in April 2024. That victim, according to the FBI affidavit accompanying the Mississippi complaint, told police she believed Gardner had used his phone to record video of her while he made her perform inappropriate stretches, among other allegations. Hundreds of images taken from hidden camera in gym bathroom West Des Moines police subsequently obtained a warrant to search Gardner's residence, seizing several electronic devices on which officials allege they found hundreds of images of nude girls or girls changing clothes. The images were allegedly taken with a hidden camera in the bathroom at Gardner's former Mississippi gym, some of them identified as dating from 2017 and 2018. Wade said the department is grateful to the second teen who came forward, and asked any other victims to reach out to police. "We don't want victims to feel like they have to stand alone on something like this, but we can't act without them contacting law enforcement," he said. USA Gymnastics and SafeSport did not respond to requests for comment on Aug. 19. Garder worked as a surgical technologist after leaving Chow's The Associated Press reported that Gardner, who began working at Chow's Gymnastics in September 2018, was suspended in 2022, four months after the first SafeSport report. He then began working in 2024 as a surgical technologist for MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center, according to the news agency. A MercyOne spokesperson confirmed that Gardner no longer worked there and said the health care provider will assist law enforcement in any way possible. Online court records do not list any attorney representing Gardner in his Mississippi case. SafeSport founded after revelations of sexual assault in gymnastics The incriminating photos found at Gardner's home date as far back as 2017, when SafeSport was founded following widespread revelations of sexual assault in the USA Gymnastics sport's governing organization. The congressionally chartered nonprofit aims to keep athletes safe by addressing and preventing sexual, physical, and emotional abuse within sports, according to the watchdog group's mission statement. In 2015, USA Gymnastics received multiple allegations of abuse against disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar from dozens of women and children. The allegations were later shared with the FBI, who in 2021 admitted to mishandling the investigation after the Justice Department Inspector General issued a 119-page report criticizing the bureau's Indianapolis field office. In 2018, Nassar, a former Michigan State University employee, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline ( & Contributing: Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register
Time of India
a day ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Former Gymnastics Coach Sean Gardner Arrested on Child Pornography Charges After Years of Abuse Allegations
Sean Gardner (Image via Polk County Sheriff's Office via AP) The gymnastics world is facing another devastating scandal after former coach Sean Gardner was arrested in August 2025 on federal child pornography charges. His arrest comes more than three years after he was first suspended for alleged sexual misconduct with athletes, reigniting concerns about athlete safety in a sport still reeling from past abuse cases. Sean Gardner's Journey From Rising Coach to Accused Abuser Sean Gardner began his coaching career at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa, a program known for producing Olympic champions like Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. Joining the staff in 2018, he quickly moved up, working with junior Olympic teams and coordinating large competitions that brought in over 1,000 gymnasts each year. Gardner often described the role as his dream job, saying he wanted to inspire young athletes. But by March 2022, troubling reports emerged. A gymnast accused Gardner of using 'inappropriate spotting techniques,' touching her between the legs and on private areas. She also claimed he made sexual remarks and asked minors about their sex lives. Other athletes backed up these accounts, alleging similar conduct. SafeSport, the body established to oversee athlete protection in U.S. sports after the Larry Nassar scandal, suspended Gardner in mid-2022. Despite that, he found work as a surgical technologist while the investigation into his conduct dragged on. The Evidence That Changed Everything for Gardner The Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute (Image via AP Photo) The case escalated in May 2025 when federal agents searched Gardner's home. Investigators uncovered evidence that painted a chilling picture: • Hundreds of pornographic images of children, some as young as six. • Hidden cameras placed inside gym bathrooms in both Iowa and Mississippi. • Electronic devices filled with thousands of images and dozens of videos. • Footage directly showing Gardner tampering with one of the hidden cameras. • Secret recordings of an adult woman, believed to be his former girlfriend, filmed without her consent. Survivors Testimony against Sean Gardner Several gymnasts later came forward with their own stories, alleging years of inappropriate touching, forced stretches that exposed them, and sexual comments during practice. Some believed Gardner had secretly recorded them with his phone. Survivors described lasting trauma, including anxiety and a deep mistrust of authority figures. Their testimonies reignited anger over whether SafeSport and other institutions are doing enough to protect athletes, especially after the high-profile cases of Larry Nassar and John Geddert. Sean Gardner in Court Sean Gardner, 38, appeared in federal court in Des Moines on August 15, 2025. He faces charges of producing visual depictions of minors in sexually explicit conduct, a crime that carries a possible 30-year prison sentence. He is currently being held while awaiting extradition to Mississippi for additional charges. Authorities believe more victims may come forward as the investigation expands. Advocacy groups are urging survivors of abuse in sports to seek help and use available support systems. How Gardner's Case is a Reckoning for Gymnastics While Gardner's arrest is a deeply troubling development, it also serves as a stark reminder of the resilience of survivors who chose to speak out despite fear and stigma. Their voices pushed this case forward, even as the system lagged behind. The scandal highlights a broader cultural problem in gymnastics - one where prestige and reputation too often outweigh athlete safety. It echoes a troubling pattern: no matter how well-known the coach or respected the gym, silence can be broken and justice pursued, even if it takes years. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, help is available through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned US gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang 'Chow' Qiao, the owner of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, thought highly enough of his new hire, Sean Gardner, to put him in charge of the club's premier junior event and to coach some of its most promising girls.
