The case against Dr. Larry Nassar has been making nationwide headlines for months now. Dr. Nassar, an osteopathic physician specializing in sports medicine, was a faculty member at Michigan State University and the team physician for USA Gymnastics. However, in recent months, he has come under increasing fire regarding his alleged sexual assault of many women and girls while practicing medicine.
At his May 12, 2017 preliminary hearing, Nassar appeared before District Court Judge Donald Allen Jr. in the Ingham County 55th District Court , where several witnesses testified against him. Although the prosecution requested that the media be evicted from the courtroom to protect the identity of witnesses, the judge denied this request.
It all started in September of 2016. The first allegations came from two female gymnasts who claimed to have been molested by Nassar while seeking treatment for injuries. A civil lawsuit was filed in California against Nassar and the USA Gymnastics organization. One of those two is identified in the lawsuit only as ‘Jane Doe.’ Her attorneys will not reveal her identity but they have said that she is a medal-winning member of the women’s gymnastics team that competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The other alleged victim was Rachael Denhollander, a gymnast from Louisville, Kentucky. During a media interview, Denhollander said that Nassar sexually assaulted her repeatedly during visits to his Michigan State University medical office for treatments. The first assault, she says, took place during a treatment for lower back pain called myofascial release. Her mother was in the room at the time, Denhollander says, but Nassar positioned himself so that she couldn’t see what he was doing while penetrating her.
As it turns out, Denhollander’s allegations were only a drop in the bucket.
After the lawsuit was filed and the allegations became public, Michigan State University Police received at least fourteen other complaints from women alleging that Dr. Nassar sexually assaulted them as well. One woman claims that he spoke of oral sex and other inappropriate subjects during a treatment when she was alone with him, and another says that he was visibly aroused during her treatment.
Larry Nassar was arrested and then granted a $1 million bond, which he paid. However, his freedom was short lived. In December 2016, Nassar was arrested again, this time by federal officials on child pornography (kiddie porn) charges. According to court records, Nassar was accused of receiving, or attempting to receive sexually explicit images of children.
As a result of Nassar’s alleged abuse, over 90 women and girls have filed lawsuits against MSU, USA Gymnastics and Nassar. All of the women claim that they were sexually assaulted by Nassar under the guise of medical examinations. Currently, Nassar is facing 15 First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct charges based on claims made by seven different alleged victims. In addition, he is also facing 13 other criminal charges in both state and federal courts. If convicted, he is facing up to life in prison.
Sex crimes are considered to be incredibly serious by Michigan courts and prosecutors. If you need a skilled defense attorney with decades of experience handling sex crimes in Michigan, call The Kronzek Firm at 866 766 5245. There are many innocent people in prison cells and listed on sex offender registries, who are there because they didn’t get the right attorney to defend them. Our attorneys are available 24/7 to help you. Don’t wait and hope the situation will resolve itself, because it won’t!