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.
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.
Raportoinut AI
A 23-year-old Canton man pleaded guilty to multiple charges including kidnapping and rape after attacking a woman he hired to clean his apartment.
Katelyn Strohacker, the 23-year-old former daycare worker at Over the Rainbow Children's Center in Pataskala, Ohio, was sentenced Friday to 8-12 years in prison for abusing multiple children, including taping a 1-year-old girl's eyes, hands, and feet. Following her earlier no contest plea to 31 counts of kidnapping and child endangerment—as covered in prior reporting—parents expressed outrage at the Licking County sentencing hearing.
Raportoinut AI
Dustin Joel Walker was sentenced to life in prison plus 42 years for sexually abusing his 11-year-old stepdaughter and forcing her to give birth at home without medical care.