Overview

• Gardner, 38, made an initial appearance in Des Moines on a charge of producing visual depictions of minors, was ordered detained, and is expected to be transported to Mississippi to face the case there.
• Court records say a May 2024 search of his Iowa residence yielded hundreds of images and videos of girls roughly 6 to 14, including files that appear to be from a hidden restroom camera at a Mississippi gym.
• An FBI affidavit describes a video showing a man identified as Gardner entering the bathroom and turning off the camera at Jump’In Gymnastics in Purvis, Mississippi.
• Authorities say the probe spans Gardner’s coaching in Iowa, Mississippi and earlier work in Louisiana, investigations remain active, and the FBI is seeking additional potential victims.
• AP identified former Chow’s gymnast Finley Weldon as the accuser who came forward in April 2024, reigniting a case that began with SafeSport reports and a 2022 suspension but initially stalled when no one pursued charges.