Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Former Coach at Prominent U.S. Gymnastics Academy Arrested by FBI Following Longstanding Abuse Allegations | Crime Alert 6AM 12.16.25

Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Nancy Grace
Production: iHeartPodcasts & CrimeOnline

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the recent arrest of Sean Gardner, a former coach at a top U.S. gymnastics academy, following years of unchecked abuse and a federal investigation. Nancy Grace and the Crime Stories team explore the case's troubling implications for safeguarding children in sports, touch on systemic failures since the Larry Nasser scandal, and present other urgent crime news stories, including espionage charges, fatal shootings involving military personnel, and a deadly workplace shooting in Manhattan.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sean Gardner’s Arrest and Youth Sports Safety Failures

• Reporting by John Laemmle (01:52)
  • Background: Sean Gardner, a former coach at West Des Moines Elite Chows Gymnastics (with prior stints in Mississippi and Louisiana), was arrested by the FBI in Iowa for producing child pornography.
    • He allegedly used hidden cameras to record young gymnasts as young as six while they changed clothes.
  • Investigation Timeline: The materials were uncovered in a 2024 investigation precipitated by a new survivor coming forward.
  • Prior Sanctions: Gardner was suspended by the US Center for Safe Sport in 2022 due to earlier abuse allegations but evaded broader accountability, subsequently finding employment at a hospital.
  • Broader Issue: The case exposes loopholes and inefficiency in the SafeSport system, particularly as it relates to cross-sector employment after a sports ban.
    • Quote: “This case reopens difficult questions about the effectiveness and transparency of abuse reporting systems in youth sports, especially in the shadow of the Larry Nasser scandal.” (John Laemmle, 02:54)

2. Continuing Crime Coverage

• A. Espionage Charges in Germany (03:21)

  • Case Details: “Martin D.,” a former US Department of Defense contractor, was indicted in Germany for allegedly offering US military secrets to Chinese authorities.
    • He is accused of contacting Chinese agents in the summer of 2024, but authorities believe no information was actually transferred.
    • As of his arrest in Frankfurt (Nov. 2024), his trial awaits a decision at the Koblenz court.

• B. Shooting Involving F.E. Warren Airman (04:12)

  • Incident: Airman First Class Jaden Orr allegedly fired an AK-47 through a wall during a night of drinking in Cheyenne, Wyoming, killing a 23-year-old man.
    • Orr is charged with involuntary manslaughter and remains in custody.
    • This follows a previous fatal shooting by an F.E. Warren airman, prompting the Air Force to suspend the use of the Sig Sauer M18 handgun.
  • Jurisdiction: Orr’s case handled by civilian prosecutors rather than routine military process.

• C. Utah Double Cop Killing—Death Penalty Sought (05:05)

  • Accused: Ryan Michael Bate, charged with killing two responding police officers (Sgt. Lee Sorenson, Officer Eric Estrada) during a domestic disturbance.
    • Bate allegedly fired from inside his home after his wife called 911.
    • He ultimately surrendered after bystanders intervened.
    • Governor Spencer Cox has voiced support for pursuing the death penalty.
    • Charges: 20 criminal counts, including two for capital murder.

• D. Manhattan Office Shooting—Guard Honored (05:55)

  • Incident: Security guard Alain Etienne, originally from Haiti, was killed while shielding others during a July 28 office tower shooting in Manhattan.
    • Four people died, including Etienne, an NYPD veteran, an investment exec, and a real estate worker; a fifth was wounded; the gunman killed himself.
    • Etienne is memorialized as a hero and exemplary immigrant worker.
      • Quote: “He is remembered as a man who not only guarded a building, but who in his final moments, protected the lives of others.” (John Laemmle, 06:29)
    • Calls for improved recognition of private security personnel, especially immigrant workers.

3. Reflection & Call to Action

• Host Closer (06:39):
  • Nancy Grace reiterates her team’s mission: “For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast Crime Stories, where we do our best to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides.” (Nancy Grace, 06:39)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Laemmle (on systemic failures, 02:54):
  “This case reopens difficult questions about the effectiveness and transparency of abuse reporting systems in youth sports, especially in the shadow of the Larry Nasser scandal.”

• John Laemmle (on security heroism, 06:29):
  “He is remembered as a man who not only guarded a building, but who in his final moments, protected the lives of others.”

• Nancy Grace (on the podcast’s mission, 06:39):
  “We do our best to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides.”

Segments & Timestamps

• [01:52] — Sean Gardner, former gymnastics coach, arrested; SafeSport system scrutiny
• [03:21] — Espionage charges for American in Germany; Military data security concerns
• [04:12] — F.E. Warren Airman’s fatal shooting in Wyoming
• [05:05] — Utah: Prosecutors seek death penalty in double police killing
• [05:55] — Tribute to Alain Etienne, Manhattan office shooting victim
• [06:39] — Nancy Grace conclusion and call to listeners

Summary for Listeners

This episode underscores ongoing struggles in preventing child abuse in youth sports, illuminated by the chilling details of the Gardner case and its unsettling echoes from the Nasser scandal. It further demonstrates the range and depth of crime affecting all sectors—from military intelligence to private security—and the persistent risks faced by dedicated individuals in pursuit of safety and justice. Nancy Grace invites listeners to join her crusade for accountability, closure, and protection for the vulnerable.