Former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University sports doctor Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for the sexual assault of dozens of girls.
The sentencing on seven charges of criminal sexual conduct in Ingham County, Mich., follows seven days of testimony from more than 150 women who said Nassar molested them while claiming to treat them for sports injuries.
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Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said it was her “honor and privilege” to sentence him, and added “I just signed your death warrant” after issuing the sentence.
“Your crime, all of your crimes, the depth of them, have cut into the core of this community and many communities,” Aquilina said during the sentencing.
“You did this for your pleasure,” she said after reading a letter by Nassar submitted to the court. “You still think that somehow you are right, that you are a doctor … I wouldn’t send my dogs to you, sir.”
“You do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever,” she said.
Aquilina also addressed the women present, telling them, “You are no longer victims, you are survivors.”
In a statement before the sentencing, Nassar again addressed his victims who confronted him over the past week.
“There are no words that can describe depth and breadth of how sorry I am,” he said. “I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days.”
Prosecutor Angela Povilaitis said Wednesday that Nassar is “possibly the most prolific serial child sex abuser in history.”
{mosads}”To each survivor, thank you,” she said. “Thank you for coming forward, for trusting us, for doing what is so hard and difficult. What is obvious is that a strong group of determined women can in fact change the world, and will.”
Among the women who spoke at the sentencing were Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney. Gymnasts Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles also accused Nassar of sexual assault.
Three members of USA Gymnastics’s top leadership stepped down earlier this week over the scandal, and the organization said earlier this month that it would move training facilities from Karolyi Ranch, where Nassar abused the girls.
Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges, and is still awaiting sentencing on three charges of criminal sexual conduct in Eaton County, Mich., to which he already pleaded guilty.
The NCAA has also opened an investigation into Michigan State University’s handling of sexual abuse claims against Nassar. He was a doctor at the university from 1997-2016.