Michigan Gymnastics Doctor Pleads Guilty to Sex Charges

The Associated Press
By The Associated Press
November 22, 2017US News
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Michigan Gymnastics Doctor Pleads Guilty to Sex Charges
In this Feb. 17, 2017, file photo, Dr. Larry Nassar listens to testimony of a witness during a preliminary hearing, in Lansing, Mich. (Robert Killips /Lansing State Journal via AP, File)

LANSING, Mich.—A sports doctor accused of molesting girls while working for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple charges of sexual assault and will face at least 25 years in prison.

Dr. Larry Nassar, 54, was charged with molesting seven girls, mostly under the guise of treatment at his Lansing-area home and a campus clinic. All but one of his accusers was a gymnast. He faces similar charges in a neighboring county and lawsuits filed by more than 125 women and girls.

Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas are among the women who have publicly said they were among Nassar’s victims.

NTD Photo
Mc Kayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber, Gabrielle Douglas, Alexandra Raisman and Kyla Ross of the United States celebrate after winning the gold medal in the Artistic Gymnastics Women’s Team final on Day 4 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at North Greenwich Arena in London, England on July 31, 2012. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Some of his accusers attended the hearing Wednesday in a packed Ingham County courtroom. Some were crying.

Nassar admitted to digital penetrating the victims and agreed that his conduct had no legitimate medical purpose and that he did not have the girls’ consent.

The plea deal in Ingham County calls for a minimum prison sentence of 25 years, but a judge could set the minimum sentence as high as 40 years. In Michigan, inmates are eligible for parole after serving a minimum sentence.

Sentencing was set for Jan. 12.

The girls have testified that Nassar molested them with his hands, sometimes when a parent was present in the room, while they sought help for gymnastics injuries.

“He convinced these girls that this was some type of legitimate treatment,” Assistant Attorney General Angela Poviliatis told a judge last summer. “Why would they question him? Why would they question this gymnastics god?”

NTD Photo
This Nov. 22, 2016, file photo shows Dr. Larry Nassar appearing during a video arraignment in Mason, Mich. (AP Photo/David Eggert, File)

Separately, Nassar is charged with similar crimes in Eaton County, the location of an elite gymnastics club. He also is awaiting sentencing in federal court on child pornography charges.

The Michigan criminal cases against Nassar followed reports last year in the Indianapolis Star about how USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians, mishandled complaints about sexual misconduct involving the doctor and coaches. Women and girls said the stories inspired them to step forward with detailed allegations of abuse, sometimes when their parents were in the exam room at Michigan State.

NTD Photo
This photo taken May 12, 2017, shows Dr. Larry Nassar listening during a preliminary hearing in Mason, Mich. (Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal via AP)
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