Larry Nassar, Former Team USA Doctor, Sentenced to 40 to 175 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse

Larry Nassar, Former Team USA Doctor, Sentenced to 40 to 175 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse

Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting athletes under his care. After a seven-day hearing in the Ingham County, Michigan, courtroom, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina finally handed the sentencing to the former Team USA Gymnastics and Michigan State Universit...

Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually assaulting athletes under his care.

After a seven-day hearing in the Ingham County, Michigan, courtroom, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina finally handed the sentencing to the former Team USA Gymnastics and Michigan State Universit... </s> LANSING, Mich. – The former sports doctor who admitted molesting some of the nation’s top gymnasts for years was sentenced Wednesday to 40 to 175 years in prison as the judge declared: “I just signed your death warrant.”

The sentence capped a remarkable seven-day hearing in which scores of Larry Nassar‘s victims were able to confront him face to face in a Michigan courtroom.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said Nassar’s “decision to assault was precise, calculated, manipulative, devious, despicable.”

READ MORE: Ex-gymnast says Larry Nassar molested her in his basement while she had a broken leg

“It is my honour and privilege to sentence you. You do not deserve to walk outside a prison ever again. You have done nothing to control those urges and anywhere you walk, destruction will occur to those most vulnerable.”

Nassar found competitive gymnastics to be a “perfect place” for his crimes because victims saw him as a “god” in the sport, a prosecutor said Wednesday, shortly before the former doctor was to be sentenced for years of molesting Olympic gymnasts and other young women.

“It takes some kind of sick perversion to not only assault a child but to do so with her parent in the room,” prosecutor Angela Povilaitis said. “To do so while a lineup of eager young gymnasts waited.”

She described the “breadth and ripple” of Nassar’s sexual abuse as “nearly infinite.”

READ MORE: ‘How dare you ask for forgiveness?’: Female gymnasts confront Larry Nassar at sex assault trial

“What does it say about our society that victims of sexual abuse have to hide their pain for years when they did nothing wrong? What does it say about our society when victims do come forward … and are treated as liars until proven true?” Povilaitis said.

Nassar turned to the courtroom gallery to make a brief statement, saying that the accounts of more than 150 victims had “shaken me to my core.” He said “no words” can describe how sorry he is for his crimes.

“I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days” he said as many of his accusers wept.

He faces a minimum prison term of 25 to 40 years.

One of the first athletes to accuse Nassar of sexual assault was the last victim to offer statements at his sentencing hearing.

Rachael Denhollander is a Kentucky lawyer who stepped forward in 2016 after the sports’ governing body was accused of mishandling complaints of sexual assault. She said Nassar groped, fondled and penetrated her with his hands when she was a 15-year-old gymnast in Michigan.

Denhollander’s statements to Michigan State University police put the criminal investigation in high gear in 2016.

“You have become a man ruled by selfish and perverted desires,” she told Nassar, who worked at the university and USA Gymnastics, the governing body that also trains Olympians.

Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty to assaulting seven people in the Lansing area, but the sentencing hearing has been open to anyone who said they were a victim. His accusers said he would use his ungloved hands to penetrate them, often without explanation, while they were on a table seeking help for various injuries.

The accusers, many of whom were children, said they trusted Nassar to care for them properly, were in denial about what was happening or were afraid to speak up. He sometimes used a sheet or his body to block the view of any parent in the room.

“I’d been told during my entire gymnastics career to not question authority,” a former elite gymnast, Isabell Hutchins, said Tuesday.

The judge is likely to be unsparing in her treatment of Nassar. Aquilina has praised the victims who have appeared in her court since Jan. 16, calling them “sister survivors,” while also assuring them that their perpetrator will pay. The women have included Olympians Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber and McKayla Maroney.

“Your words are vital. They are as strong as your martial arts,” Aquilina told Christina Barba, who has known Nassar for decades and practices karate. “They will take him down quicker and cleaner than any kick you’ve got.”

Hutchins and Mattie Larson, a former national gymnast, talked about how Nassar won their allegiance with candy, Olympic trinkets and encouraging words while they were under constant scrutiny from demanding coaches.

Brooke Hylek, a gymnast who plans to compete in college, heaped scorn on Nassar.

“I cannot believe I ever trusted you, and I will never forgive you,” she said Tuesday. “I’m happy you will be spending the rest of your life in prison. Enjoy hell by the way.”

“I want you to apologize to me right here,” the 18-year-old told Nassar. “I want to forgive you, but I also want to hear you tell me that you regret all the hurting you caused.”

He did. She replied with, “Thank you.”

Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week on more assault convictions in Eaton County, Michigan. </s> A judge is holding an extraordinary four-day sentencing hearing for a disgraced American sport doctor who sexually assaulted young elite gymnasts.

Larry Nassar is returning to court today in Lansing, Michigan.

On Monday, Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles said she was among the athletes sexually abused by Nassar.

Dozens of women and girls who were victims will be allowed to speak at the hearing and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is expected to order a sentence on Friday.

Nassar pleaded guilty to molesting females with his hands at his Michigan State University office, his home and a Lansing-area gymnastics club. He also worked for USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.

The Michigan attorney general's office is seeking at least 40 years in prison for the 54-year-old Nassar. He's already been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes. </s> LANSING, MI - JANUARY 17: Larry Nassar listens to victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing after being accused of molesting more than 100 girls while he was a physician for USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University where he had his sports-medicine practice on January 17, 2018 in Lansing, Michigan. Nassar has pleaded guilty in Ingham County, Michigan, to sexually assaulting seven girls, but the judge is allowing all his accusers to speak. Nassar is currently serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for possession of child pornography. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

LANSING, Mich. (AP) – A judge has told a Michigan sports doctor accused of sexually assaulting women and girls, “I just signed your death warrant.”

The remarks from Judge Rosemarie Aquilina came as she sentenced Larry Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison.

The sentence capped a remarkable seven-day hearing that brought more than 150 victims or their families to court, including Olympians.

They made riveting statements while confronting Nassar in a Lansing, Michigan, courtroom. He worked at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.

Nassar had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting seven females in the Lansing area between 1998 and 2015, but the hearing was open to all of his accusers.

His accusers said he would molest them while they were on a table seeking help for various injuries. Nassar also has a 60-year prison sentence for child pornography crimes.

The judge who sentenced a Michigan sports doctor to decades in prison read a letter that raises questions about whether he’s truly remorseful.

A courtroom packed with victims gasped Wednesday as Judge Rosemarie Aquilina read Larry Nassar’s letter, which was written before the seven-day sentencing hearing.

The letter stated, “Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned” and said that “stories are being fabricated” by victims.

After reading the letter, the judge asked Nassar whether he wanted to withdraw his guilty plea. He declined. </s> Simone Biles Says Larry Nassar Sexually Assaulted Her Too

Simone Biles says she was also sexually assaulted by Team USA gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar -- and is now ready to go public with her story.

The 20-year-old phenom -- who was a key member of the 2016 gold medal winning Olympics team -- issued a statement saying, "I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar."

"Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper."

"There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault."

"This behavior is completely unacceptable, disgusting, and abusive, especially coming from someone whom I was TOLD to trust."

"As I continue to work through the pain, I kindly ask everyone to respect my privacy. This is a process, and one that I need more time to work through."

Biles is the latest athlete to come forward with allegations against Nassar -- joining stars like McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas. There are reportedly more than 100 victims.

Back in November, Nassar pled guilty to 7 counts of criminal sexual conduct. The sentencing phase of the case begins on Tuesday. He has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for child porn. </s> Larry Nassar was supposed to be top-notch in the field — a doctor who worked with elite athletes. So young gymnasts and their families sought him out with broken bones and injuries. They thought he could help them heal.

In return, the renowned former USA Gymnastics doctor followed a vicious pattern. Nassar has admitted to sexually abusing the girls under the guise of providing medical treatment. He has also admitted in court to putting his finger into the vagina of patients in cases for more than two decades — including girls under the age of 13.

In what has been a remarkable reckoning in the massive sexual abuse scandal, more than 150 victims have delivered searing accounts of the excruciating hours they spent being assaulted, how Nassar manipulated them and how his abuse changed their lives.

But the women also delivered powerful statements of resolve in the wake of those struggles as Nassar listened on in court.

“I’m not the little girl I used to be,” Mattie Larson said in court. “I have a voice now, and I want to be heard.”

For the sixth day, the victim impact statements continued Tuesday, and in all, prosecutors say a total of 158 statements will be read or delivered in court.

Court officials initially said about 88 victims would speak during the sentencing, but dozens of others have come forward since, empowered by what Olympian Aly Raisman called the “army of survivors.”

The statements are expected to finish on Tuesday or Wednesday. After that, Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is expected to announce Nassar’s sentence. He could face 40 to 125 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Michigan.

He has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for federal child pornography charges and has pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County, Michigan.

But the scandal reverberates far beyond Nassar, the once respected doctor who enjoyed a prestigious perch as an associate professor at the Michigan State University from 1997 to 2016 and also worked as the gymnastics team doctor through four Olympic Games. Scores of women said they were abused and then pressured into silence by powerful institutions that protected him and enabled him for decades.

USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have separately said they reported Nassar’s abuse immediately when they learned about it, but a number of victims said they told authorities about the abuse years ago and were ignored.

In the fallout, USA Gymnastics cut ties with the Karolyi Ranch, the women’s gymnastics training facility where gymnasts said abuse went unchecked. Several board members of USA Gymnastics resigned.

Prominent Olympians including Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney, have said they were abused by Nassar. Raisman accused USA Gymnastics of “rotting from the inside” and called on its new leader to take responsibility.

Michigan State University’s leadership also has been under fire, with a protest planned Friday demanding the resignation of its president Lou Anna K. Simon. Nassar had served as the gymnastics and women’s crew team physician at the university.

“Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure,” survivor Amanda Thomashow said last week.

Michigan State maintains no official believed Nassar committed sexual abuse until newspapers began reporting on the allegations during the summer of 2016. Any suggestion that the university engaged in a cover-up is “simply false,” an MSU statement asserted last week.

Since last Tuesday, survivors have recounted painful experiences in front of Nassar, who wore a prison uniform and looked away.

One after another, women have recounted damning accounts of how he abused them. Some appeared in person and others recorded their statements.

A number of victims said they suffered from self-doubt, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some said they or their loved ones harmed themselves because of Nassar’s abuse. </s> Larry Nassar was supposed to be top-notch in the field — a doctor who worked with elite athletes. So young gymnasts and their families sought him out with broken bones and injuries. They thought he could help them heal.

In return, the renowned former USA Gymnastics doctor followed a vicious pattern. Nassar has admitted to sexually abusing the girls under the guise of medical treatment. He has also admitted in court to putting his finger into the vagina of patients in cases going back as far as 1998 — including girls under the age of 13.

In what has been a reckoning in the massive sexual abuse scandal, victims have delivered searing accounts of the excruciating hours they spent being assaulted, how they cried after appointments and how Nassar manipulated them.

For the sixth day, the victim impact statements are expected to continue Tuesday and in all, prosecutors say a total of about 144 will be read or delivered in court. Court adjourned Monday after 133 victim impact statements were read.

After that, Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is expected to announce her decision on Nassar’s sentence. Nassar could face 40 to 125 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Michigan.

He has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison for federal child pornography charges and has pleaded guilty to three charges of criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County, Michigan.

But the scandal reverberates far beyond Nassar, the once respected doctor who enjoyed a prestigious perch as an associate professor at the Michigan State University from 1997 to 2016 and also worked as the gymnastics team doctor through four Olympic Games. Scores of women said they were abused and then pressured into silence by powerful institutions that protected him and enabled him for decades.

USA Gymnastics and Michigan State have separately said they reported Nassar’s abuse immediately when they learned about it, but a number of victims said they told authorities about the abuse years ago and were ignored.

In the fallout, USA Gymnastics cut ties with the Karolyi Ranch, the women’s gymnastics training facility where gymnasts said abuse went unchecked. Several board members of USA Gymnastics resigned.

Prominent Olympians including Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney, have said they were abused by Nassar. Raisman accused USA Gymnastics of “rotting from the inside” and called on its new leader to take responsibility.

Michigan State University’s leadership also has been under fire, with a protest planned Friday demanding the resignation of its president Lou Anna K. Simon. Nassar had served as the gymnastics and women’s crew team physician at the university.

“Michigan State University, the school I loved and trusted, had the audacity to tell me that I did not understand the difference between sexual assault and a medical procedure,” survivor Amanda Thomashow said last week.

Michigan State maintains no official believed Nassar committed sexual abuse until newspapers began reporting on the allegations during the summer of 2016. Any suggestion that the university engaged in a cover-up is “simply false,” an MSU statement asserted last week.

Since last Tuesday, survivors have recounted painful experiences in front of Nassar, who wore a prison uniform and looked away.

One after another, women have recounted damning accounts of how he abused them. Some appeared in person and others recorded their statements.

A number of victims said they suffered from self-doubt, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some said they or their loved ones harmed themselves because of Nassar’s abuse. </s> Following days of “show no mercy” victim statements from dozens of female athletes who were sexually abused by Larry Nassar, the ex-Team USA doctor’s sentencing has finally happened. Nassar had complained that he didn’t have the mental ability to withstand these statements, which were relatively few, considering that he pleaded guilty to molesting over 150 women and girls during his time with USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. On Wednesday, Nassar attempted an emotional appeal for leniency, and Judge Rosemarie Anguilina lambasted him as insincere.

We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, it’s worth highlighting how Anguilina announced Nassar’s sentence — 40 to 175 years. With a hint of glee in her voice, Anguilina began tallying the sentence in open court:

“It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. Because sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again … It is my privilege on counts one, two, five, eight, 10 and 18 and 24 … to sentence you to 40 years … that’s 480 months … I’m giving you 175 years, which is 2,100 months … I have just signed your death warrant.”

Prior to the sentencing, Nassar’s counsel expressed that he would defend him again, despite receiving death threats, because defendants have the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. However, he stated that “Larry’s soul is broken,” and then Nassar gave a short statement to his victims:

“Your words these past several days have had a significant emotional effect on myself and has shaken me to my core. There are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred. An acceptable apology to all of you is impossible to write and convey. I will carry your words for me for the rest of my days.”

Anguilina told Nassar that she hoped he meant what he said, but she wasn’t confident of that prospect. To prove her point, she read a letter from Nassar — in which he complained that he was being treated unfairly and even wrote “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” (which received audible gasps) — aloud.

Anguilina was disgusted, and she asked Nassar if he wished to withdraw his plea. He answered in the negative, and Anguilina described his acts as “despicable” and bashed him for claiming in his letter that his treatments were “medical,” not abuse. Anguilina then declared, “I wouldn’t send my dogs to you.”

First and Second Picture Courtesy of Jeff Kowalsky and Getty Images

First and Second Tweet and Video Courtesy of CNN, Twitter, and Uproxx

Third Video Courtesy of CNN, Dailymotion, and Uproxx </s> A former elite gymnast said Tuesday that a sports doctor who treated Olympic athletes overlooked what turned out to be a broken leg while he molested her in the basement of his home, one of the latest victims to testify at a Michigan sentencing hearing for Larry Nassar.

Isabell Hutchins practiced for weeks at a Lansing-area gymnastics club and even competed at national events despite acute leg pain as a teen in 2011. She said Nassar did nothing to encourage her to get help and instead molested her during late-night appointments at his home.

"You didn't heal me. You only hurt me," Hutchins told Nassar, who was seated a few feet away in the Ingham County courtroom.

Nassar, 54, has admitted sexually assaulting athletes under the guise of medical treatment when he was employed by Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics, which is the sport's national governing organization and trains Olympians.

Hutchins, who spoke as the sentencing phase of the assault case entered a sixth day, brought some of the trinkets that Nassar had given her from the 1996 Olympics and recalled how she helped clear his basement after damage from a flood.

Nassar pleaded guilty to assaulting seven people in Ingham County, but the sentencing hearing has been open to anyone who said they were a victim. Almost 160 women or girls have asked to speak or have a statement read on their behalf. Under a plea deal, he faces a minimum of 25 to 40 years behind bars, although the actual sentence could be much higher.

He already has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for child pornography crimes.

Before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina entered court, Nassar settled into a chair next to his lawyer and shook his head while reading a piece of paper.

The judge continued her practice of praising each speaker. She tried to ease the guilt of a mother who blamed herself for not catching the abuse.

"The red flags may have been there, but they were designed to be hidden. Leave the blame here with him," Aquilina said.

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Larry Nassar is sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting Olympic gymnasts and other women. Many of the accusers were children, who were told to not question authority.