175 years in prison for pedo gym doc
AFTER being forced to listen to the gut-wrenching accounts of 156 women and girls he sexually abused, former US Olympic gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar has been sentenced to up to 175 years in jail.
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced the pervert, who preyed upon vulnerable youngsters who came to him for treatment, telling him: “I just signed your death warrant.”
The paedophile’s sentencing follows a week of distressing testimony from scores of women, including Olympic gold medal gymnasts Aly Raisman and Jordyn Weiber. Many of the victims confronted him in the Michigan court.
When the hearing ended, the courtroom broke into applause, with victims and prosecutors embracing at the end of the gruelling 16-month case.
But before serving the sentence handed down yesterday, 54-year-old Nassar must first serve a 60-year federal sentence for child pornography crimes. He will also be sentenced next week on more assault convictions.
A prosecutor called Nassar “possibly the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history”. Although his work with gymnasts received the most attention, allegations against him spanned more than a dozen sports over 25 years.
Judge Aquilina also called for a broader investigation into how the abuse was allowed to go on for so long. The US Olympic Committee soon announced an independent inquiry.
One of the first athletes to publicly accuse Nassar of sexual assault was the last victim to offer a statement at the hearing.
“Victims were silenced, intimidated, told they were receiving medical treatment, and at times sent back to be further abused,” Rachael Denhollander, who was groped and fondled by Nassar when she was 15 years old, said. “This is what it looks like when institutions create a culture when a predator can behave unabated.”