The Tennessee Board of Parole is weighing whether to cut loose Andrew Halford, the former Franklin and Carthage cheer coach convicted of secretly recording girls as they changed at area gyms. At an initial hearing on Wednesday, a parole hearing officer said not so fast, recommending Halford be denied release and that the board wait six years before reconsidering his case. Investigators say recovered devices held footage of dozens of victims, most of them minors, and at least one cheer studio confirmed he was quickly fired once the videos came to light.
Hearing Officer Urges Six-Year Wait
During Wednesday’s session, the hearing officer issued a nonbinding recommendation to reject Halford’s parole request and set a new review date for March 2032, according to WSMV. The Tennessee Board of Parole will now review the officer’s findings on its own and vote to adopt, reject, or tweak the recommendation.
In practical terms, the seven-member board, not the hearing officer, has the final say on whether Halford walks out early. The officer’s report is essentially a road map, but the board is free to chart a different course.
Guilty Plea, GoPro Scheme, and a 24-Year Term
Halford pleaded guilty in Smith County to charges tied to secretly filming girls at an elite cheer gym and received a total 24-year sentence, Carthage Courier reported. Court records and local coverage say he admitted hiding a GoPro camera inside a backpack and leaving it on a bathroom shelf to capture video in 2020 and 2021.
The plea deal kept the case from going to trial and, as reporters noted, offered victims and their families a faster resolution than a prolonged courtroom fight.
Dozens of Victims Identified From Franklin Gym
Franklin police said the camera recovered at the Franklin gym contained footage of more than 50 females, most of them minors, and detectives then began the painstaking work of identifying dozens of victims, according to WSMV. Premier Athletics, the Franklin studio near Cool Springs, confirmed to the station that the employee involved was no longer with the company.
After the discovery, managers at the facility increased inspections and alerted parents while investigators continued victim outreach, trying to make sure every family caught on camera was notified.
What Happens Next With Parole
The parole board generally requires at least three members to agree before a decision becomes official, and a vote on Halford’s case is expected in the coming weeks, according to a hearing summary from WKRN. The hearing officer also recommended Halford complete risk-reduction programming identified through the Strong‑R assessment before any future review.
For now, that recommendation to deny release is simply advice. The board will weigh it alongside Halford’s institutional record and any victim statements before making a final call.
Charges, Registry Status, and Long-Term Outlook
Local reporting says Halford’s plea included counts such as attempted especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and related unlawful photographing charges, and that he will be listed on the state’s violent sex offender registry, Carthage Courier noted.
The hearing officer’s suggested timeline and programming are designed to address risk, but the full board will balance those recommendations against the seriousness of the offenses and input from victims. Until the board takes its vote, Halford remains in custody serving his sentence.
