Larry Nassar News: Former USA Gymnastics Team Doctor Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Sexual Assault
Former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault involving several athletes he had encountered.
Nassar is facing seven counts of first-degree sexual assault whose complainants were all female gymnasts he had treated while he was employed by USA Gymnastics, the national governing body for the said sport in the country.
On Wednesday, in a jam-packed courtroom, Nassar entered a guilty plea which will lead to a sentence of 25 up to 40 years in prison.
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As Nassar plead guilty, the accused told the judge and everyone in the courtroom: "I'm so horribly sorry that this was like a match that turned into a forest fire out of control." He added that he had been praying for forgiveness and hoped that his victims and the community would be healed.
Nassar will now have to wait for the judge's sentence on Jan. 12 where his victims will also be given enough time to address the former sports doctor.
Also on Wednesday, following Nassar's plea, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told the former doctor that he had used his credentials as a physician to abuse the young girls and added: "I agree that now is a time of healing, but it may take them a lifetime of healing while you spend your lifetime behind bars thinking about what you did in taking away their childhood."
Nassar is also facing charges of child pornography and will receive the judge's verdict on that case by next month.
The sexual allegations against Nassar came out before people in Hollywood started calling out actors, producers, directors, and writers accused of sexual harassment. USA Today's Indy Star issued a very comprehensive report on the unspoken culture of sexual abuse that had targeted more than 368 gymnasts over the years.
As soon as Nassar pleaded guilty, the sexual abuse victims then called for accountability among the other officials who allegedly slept on their call for help amid the harassment they faced under the likes of the former sports doctor.
During a news conference on Wednesday, one of the victims, Rachael Denhollander, said: "For decades, (Michigan State University) and (USA Gymnastics) athletic trainers, supervisors, head coaches and even psychologists received first-hand testimony of the sexual abuse perpetrated by Larry." She then added: "Each and every time, MSU officials silenced these victims."
Denhollander was one of the first victims of Nassar to publicly speak out. She argued that despite hearing reports about Nassar, the school and team officials "continued to hold [Nassar] up as the best of the best."
