Former St. Charles gymnastics coach pleads guilty to child porn offense

A former gymnastics coach in St. Charles arrested after sexually explicit images of children were found on his computer pleaded guilty to a child pornography offense, authorities said Wednesday.

Shawn C. Bowlden, 33, was sentenced to 2½ years on sex offender probation and 90 days in the Kane County jail, according to the terms of an agreement with prosecutors.

Bowlden was an instructor at the St. Charles Gymnastics Academy on Oct. 10, 2007, when police discovered thousands of images and movies during a search of his home at 929 S. Third St.

He was fired from coaching after his arrest.

The search was conducted after federal agents tipped off state and local authorities to a stash of child pornography at the home, prosecutors said.

"Mr. Bowlden's actions contributed to the marketplace of pornography on the Internet," prosecutor Justin Fitzsimmons said.

Vernor Gumila, Bowlden's roommate and instructor at Gymkhana Gymnastics Club & Dance Studio in Hanover Park, was arrested on similar charges.

Gumila, 38, also has been fired and is awaiting trial.

Bowlden's plea agreement requires him to register as a sex offender for life and he is prohibited from unsupervised contact with children while on probation, prosecutors said.

He also is prohibited from using the Internet outside of work while in the more strict form of supervision and must submit to random polygraph tests, prosecutors said.

Bowlden is free on $20,000 bond and is expected to turn himself in at a later date.