Sean Gardner, a former gymnastics coach, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children in federal court in Mississippi on Monday. The charges involve allegations of recording young gymnasts with a hidden camera between 2017 and 2018.
Gardner trained elite young athletes at facilities in Purvis, Mississippi, and later at Chow's Gymnastics & Dance in West Des Moines, Iowa. He faces 15 to 30 years in prison per count at sentencing scheduled for October.
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Joseph Garrett Duggar, 31-year-old father of three and former '19 Kids and Counting' star, was arrested in Florida on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with a minor. The charges stem from alleged molestation of a 9-year-old girl during a 2020 family vacation in Panama City Beach.
Mary Tracy Morrison, founder of a school for children with autism in Jonesboro, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to permitting child abuse and related charges. She received probation and a ban from working with children after leading what prosecutors called a 'makeshift child fight club.' The case stemmed from a 30-minute beating of a 13-year-old boy captured on surveillance video.
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A 32-year-old teacher substitute in Gävle faces charges for 50 counts of child rape committed remotely against 27 girls aged 9 to 14. The investigation began when one girl reported online abuse, leading police to trace the man via IP address and Snapchat. Prosecutor Mattias Vilhelmsson notes that the children often blame themselves.
Taylor Schaefer, a 30-year-old Florida woman, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading no contest to charges related to the abuse of her 5-year-old son. She allowed her boyfriend to beat and torture the child, including handcuffing him for nearly 19 hours and placing him in a dog cage. The case came to light in May 2023 through home surveillance footage.
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A Kentucky couple faces nearly 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to severe child abuse charges. Jerome Norman and Mary Hall locked children in a room and withheld food as punishment. Pike Circuit Court imposed the maximum concurrent sentences on Friday.
Dustin Joel Walker pleaded guilty to six counts of child neglect and one count of sexual abuse of a child under 12 after his 11-year-old stepdaughter gave birth at home without medical care. The 35-year-old entered a blind plea, leaving his sentence to the judge's discretion, with potential penalties up to life in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for June 18 in Muskogee County.
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A 44-year-old paraprofessional at an elementary school in Covington, Louisiana, faces charges of simple battery after allegedly throwing a 6-year-old girl with epilepsy into a chair and pinning her wrists. The incident, captured on classroom video, prompted police to arrest Marsha Ernest last month. The child's parents have removed her from the school and demanded better protections.