A federal grand jury in Wichita indicted a Kansas man on Mar. 24 for allegedly producing child sexual abuse materials. The individual, identified as Ryan Brungardt, 37, of Salina, is a former wrestling coach at Salina Central High School and faces three counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production.
The indictment follows an initial complaint that charged Brungardt with three criminal counts. Prosecutors added a fourth count after identifying another alleged victim through ongoing investigations. According to court documents, Brungardt is accused of secretly recording minors with a cellphone while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions held at Newton High School in January 2024.
Law enforcement agencies including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Salina Police Department, and Newton Police Department are investigating the case. Authorities are also reviewing additional cellphone videos believed to have been recorded at various wrestling events across Newton, Hays, Garden City, and Salina during the 2023-2024 season. Officials urge anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity or crimes at these events to contact the KBI by phone or through their website.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to locate offenders and rescue victims using internet-based investigations.
Officials remind the public that “an indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
