Federal authorities are asking the public for help in identifying potential victims of Sean Michael Gardner, a former gymnastics coach who was recently arrested on a federal charge related to sexual exploitation of children.
According to information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, individuals who believe they or their minor dependents may have been victimized by Gardner are encouraged to contact the FBI through a dedicated website: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-sean-michael-gardner-investigation.
A criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi alleges that between December 2017 and April 2018, Gardner, now 38 years old, placed a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi. The complaint states that Gardner created multiple videos showing minors in various stages of undress, including close-up images of their anuses and genitals.
Gardner reportedly moved from Mississippi to Iowa in 2018 and began working as a coach at a gym in West Des Moines. In late May 2025, police in West Des Moines searched his apartment. Forensic analysis of electronic devices seized during this search uncovered recordings taken with the hidden camera at the Mississippi gym.
Gardner is currently being held in federal custody while legal proceedings continue in the Southern District of Mississippi.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced these developments. The investigation is being conducted by several agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force, FBI-Jackson Division (Mississippi), Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and West Des Moines Police Department.
