Former U.S. Olympic gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually abusing athletes under the guise of medical treatment.
Nassar worked with the Olympic gymnastics team, but had also previously worked with a wide range of sports. He was a faculty member at Michigan State, working with college athletes across multiple sports.
Nassar’s sentencing hearing allowed all of the women who had accused him of sexual abuse to speak to him directly in court. More than 150 of them spoke over the seven-day hearing, including former Michigan State volleyball player Jenny Rood. We covered her testimony here.
Nassar had already been sentenced to 60 years in prison in a child pornography case, then pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct. This sentence will leave the 54-year-old Nassar in prison for the rest of his life. Judge Rosemary Aquilina said as much when she handed down Nassar’s sentence. Per the New York Times:
“You’ve done nothing to deserve to walk outside a prison again,” she said, according to the Times. “It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. I just signed your death warrant.”
Nassar addressed the court before the sentencing, apologizing to his victims and saying “Your words these past several days have had a significant effect on myself and have shaken me to my core. I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days.”
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