A former Utah gymnastics coach has pleaded guilty to planting hidden cameras inside a minor's hotel bathroom to record the individual and create child sexual abuse material.
Law enforcement personnel initially arrested the suspect, identified as 34-year-old Adam Richard Jacobs, in March 2023. He was federally charged a month after that for reportedly transporting a minor with the intent of engaging in criminal sexual activity, production of child sexual abuse materials, and possession of child sexual abuse materials.
Former Gymnastics Coach Admits to Plans To Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity With a Minor
As part of the suspect's guilty plea agreement, he admitted only to the transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Jacob admitted that he brought the minor in question outside of Utah to many other states across the country, including Florida and Texas, as his student.
U.S. Attorney Trinia Higgins of the District of Utah said that during the time the suspect brought the minor out of Utah, the former gymnastics coach planted a hidden camera in the minor's hotel room and bathroom so that he could create child sexual abuse materials, according to Yahoo News.
The suspect's attorney, Andrew Deesing, emailed on Feb. 6, 2025, that his client has "accepted responsibility for the things that he has done. He feels deep remorse for the pain he has caused not only the victims in the case but also teople in his own life."
On top of pleading guilty to transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, he also pleaded guilty in state court to 15 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of voyeurism. Deesing said that Jacobs was "accepting responsibility for his actions" in Utah, The Sacramento Bee reported.
What Did the Cameras Record?
Higgins added that Jacobs also admitted that all of the electronic devices that were seized pursuant to a search warrant that was served in March 2023 were used to benefit his plans of creating child sexual abuse materials with the minor as the victim.
Law enforcement personnel began investigating the suspect after an employee at USA Gymnastics World found a hidden camera on two separate occasions inside the facility's unisex restroom. Police added that the camera contained roughly 120 video files of more than 70 individuals, ranging in age from children to adults.
Furthermore, the micro-SD card that police seized contained 40 videos showing the suspect setting up the hidden cameras at USAGymnastics and inside his home, as per KSL News Radio.
