LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette formally announced more charges Wednesday afternoon against former Michigan State University gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Nassar was charged Wednesday with 22 additional counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
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Nassar had a clinic at Michigan State, where he treated members of the gymnastics team and younger regional gymnasts. He also was a doctor for USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians. Dozens of women and girls say they were assaulted. Nassar denies the accusations.
Five of the charges are related to the victims being under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged assault. The remaining 17 are a result of Nassar taking advantage of his position of authority to commit the alleged sexual assaults.
Nassar already is accused of molesting the daughter of family friends and faces federal child pornography charges.
“Dr. Nassar preyed on these young girls, he used his status and authority to engage in horrid sexual assaults under the guise of medical procedures. He violated the oath that every doctor takes to do no harm,” said Schuette. “The girls abused by Dr. Nassar were so young, so innocent that they didn’t fully understand what Nassar was doing to them until many years later. We have a duty to protect our children, and that’s what we are doing today.”
Schuette and Michigan State University Police Chief James Dunlap held a news conference at 2:30 p.m. in Lansing.
“The allegations of sexual assault against Dr. Nassar continue to increase nearly every day, and we remain constantly in contact with the victims as we move forward,” said Michigan State University Police Chief Jim Dunlap. “Our priority is getting justice for the survivors and we are determined to make certain that occurs. I encourage anyone who may have been a victim of Larry Nassar to come forward by contacting the MSU Police Department.”
The investigation into Larry Nassar is still open. If you or someone you know are a victim, please contact @msupolice at 844-99-MSUPD.
— Bill Schuette (@SchuetteOnDuty) February 22, 2017
Story: Ex-Michigan State University gymnastics doctor bound over for trial
From the attorney general's office:
Charges in Two Counties
The charges were filed in Ingham County’s 55th District Court and Eaton County’s 56A District Court and include:
• 5 Counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct, 1st Degree (Felony, 25-year mandatory minimum, up to life in prison): Sexual penetration of another person under the following circumstance: victim is under the age of 13.
• 17 Counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct, 1st Degree (Felony, life offense): Sexual penetration of a victim between the ages of 13-16 and the alleged assailant is in a position of authority over the victim and used this authority to coerce the victim to submit; or when the actor causes personal injury to the victim and engages in the medical treatment or examination of the victim in a manner or for purposes that are medically recognized as unethical or unacceptable.
Nassar will be arraigned on Thursday, February 23 at the 55th District Court at 10:00 a.m. and via video arraignment for 56A District Court at 1:00 p.m.
Schuette strongly encourages others who may have been a victim or have relevant information regarding Nassar to contact the investigative team at 844-99-MSUPD.
Case Background
The first publicized abuse allegations against Nassar were made in September 2016 by two former gymnasts in an Indianapolis newspaper. MSU Police Department received its first complaint against Nassar in August 2016.
Following the published news story the MSU Police received multiple other complaints alleging abuse by Nassar. In October 2016, the MSU Police Chief James Dunlap brought forward a recommendation for charges to the Michigan Attorney General’s office.
The Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Agency has suspended Nassar’s medical license as of January 2017.
Previous Charges for Nassar
Schuette’s initial round of charges for Nassar took place in November of 2016 and not were related to a child involved in athletics. Nassar had a preliminary exam for these charges on February 17, 2017, where Judge Donald Allen bound the case over to Circuit Court for trial.
Nassar was charged by the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan on December 19, 2016 for possession of child pornography. The allegations in the federal indictment state that Nassar received and attempted to receive child pornography in 2004, and that he possessed thousands of images of child pornography between February of 2003 and September of 2016. If convicted of both of these charges, Nassar faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years of imprisonment, and up to lifetime supervised release after release from custody. Nassar also faces federal charges of destruction of evidence after it was alleged that he attempted to destroy the hard drive on which he was storing the pornographic images of children.
Attorney General Cold Case Sexual Assault Project
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General Cold Case Sexual Assault Project. The project is funded by a United States Department of Justice grant awarded by the Office of Violence Against Women, to combat intimate relationship violence. The grant is administered by the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board and will be prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Angela Povilaitis and Robyn Liddell.
A charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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