Former USA Gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar faces sentencing Wednesday after pleading guilty to sexually abusing female gymnasts, some as young as 10 years old.
A Michigan judge is expected to sentence Nassar to a lengthy prison term after pleading guilty in November to 10 counts of first-degree sex assault.
Prosecutors have requested a sentence of 40 to 125 years for Nassar, who is already serving a 60-year term on child pornography convictions.
About 160 of Nassar’s victims gave emotional statements at his sentencing hearing in a circuit court in Lansing, Michigan since it began on January 16.
U.S. Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney are among athletes who have said in recent months they were assaulted by Nassar during medical treatment.
Many victims have accused USA Gymnastics, the sport’s governing body in the U.S., of ignoring their complaints and the governing body of concealing them in an effort to avoid negative publicity.
Three high-ranking board members quit Monday amid ongoing criticism, following the resignation last March of the organization’s president and chief executive.
The 54-year-old Nassar served as the USA Gymnastics physician in four Olympic Games. Nassar was also the team physician for the Michigan State University gymnastics and women’s crew teams, and an associate professor at the university’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
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