According to Smith County Sheriff’s Office reports, a tumbling coach for Smith County Elite Cheerleading and Athletics has admitted to placing a GoPro camera inside of a changing area of the gym’s facilities to record video of the gym’s girls changing clothes for “sexual gratification.”
Three victims as young as nine years old were initially identified from recordings dated October 2020, and multiple recordings dating back to 2017 have been discovered. The sheriff’s office is working to identify additional victims.
Andrew Wayne Halford was arrested by Smith County deputies and charged with one count of especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and three counts of unlawful photographing of a minor.
According to the arrest affidavit, Halford is believed to be connected to a similar investigation in Franklin. Franklin Police have not named a suspect in an incident involving a hidden GoPro camera discovered in the gym of Premier Athletics on January 14 where sixty victims were recorded. Halford was employed at Premier Athletics and terminated after the discovery of the camera.
There are no other reports or evidence that any other facilities or properties have been compromised in the county.
Smith County Director of Schools Barry Smith released the following statement to Smith County Insider:
Recent media reports have detailed an arrest and charges surrounding an individual placing cameras in private gym facilities in Smith and other counties. At this time the Board of Education has no information that any of these allegations involve incidents on Smith County Board of Education property or during any school-sponsored activities or events. The Board of Education and its staff cooperate with law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of all Smith County students.
Halford is currently being held in the Smith County Jail without bond. He is scheduled for a court appearance next week. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
