Facing his accusers in open court, 54-year-old Dr. Larry G. Nasser, a 1993 graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic medicine, complained in a five-page letter to Judge Roesmarie Acquilina that she was running a media circus. Judge Acquilina decided to let Nasser’s accusers of serial sexual abuse confront him in open court before his sentencing hearing next Tuesday, Jan. 23. Nasser was already sentenced Dec. 7 to 60 years for child pornography but stands to add life sentences after testimony concludes Monday, Jane. 22. “I remember when the Penn State scandal was talked about at length for months and months and even for years. This is nearly five times the size and no one knows about it,” said Nasser sexual abuse victim Morgan McCaul. McCaul, an 18-year-old dance student at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, was molested when she was 12-years-of-age.
What astonished McCaul was that when she told her professors she had to miss class to testify at Nasser’s sex abuse trial, they all seemed clueless. “Even people that are teaching at universities don’t know that this went on,” said McCaul, referring to over 140 women victimized by Nasser’s sexual perversion. Nasser’s abuse goes back decades after graduating Osteopathiic school 1993, joining MSU’s sports medicine team. Nasser became a trainer for the United States Gymnastic Association in 1986, becoming a team doctor in 1993. Puzzled that MSU officials didn’t act on complaints for years about Nasser’s sexual escapades with female athletes, Alexis Alvarado couldn’t understand why Nasser wasn’t caught years ago. Alvarado was abused by Nasser for six years since the age 12. “A lot of people.seem to believe it’s only Olympians that this [abuse] happened to, which isn’t true,” said Alvarado.
Once it became known that Nasser abused Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Simon Biles and McKayla Maroney, authorities finally filed charges and incarcerated Nasser. Gaining insight into Nasser’s sick personality, his five-page letter to Judge Acquilina complains about the abuse to which he was subjected in open court by his sexual abuse victims. Nasser felt entitled to seduce, cajole and dominate vulnerable aspiring Olympic gymnasts looking for any way to make the U.S. Olympic team. Under the guise of medical treatment, Nasser would sexually abuse young women putting their trust in him. As a serial pedophile sexual predator, Nasser exploited any and all children and young adults for his sexual gratification. He couldn’t satisfy his compulsion without sexually exploiting children as young as five-years-of-age, ruining the lives of countless children and adolescents.
Fired by USA Gymnastics in Sept. 2015 after the first sexual abuse allegation hit the headlines, Nasser was then fired by MSU in Dec. 2016. Nasser was arrested in December 2016 on possessing 37,000 images of child pornography, pleading guilty in federal court in July 2017. Fixated pedophiles like Nasser can’t stop their compulsion to molest young children, often leading secret lives from their marriage and family life. Whether spouses or family are complicit is anyone’s guess. When you talk of complicity, USA Gymnastics and MSU ignored numerous reports of sexual misconduct, drawing parallels to Penn State where athletic trainer Jerry Sandusky had been molesting young football players for years, all ignored by the late Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno, Athletic Director Tim Curley, President Graham Spanier and Vice President Gary Schultz—all were fired, charged, convicted and did time.
When Nasser gets his final sentence next Tuesday, spending the rest of his life in prison, the focus turns to MSU President Lou Anna Simon, Athletic Director Mark Hollis and any other faculty or administrators who ignored Nasser’s misconduct. Executives with USA Gymnastic Assn. and United State Olympic Committee will also face the hot seat, answering the same question of how Nasser could have gotten away with this for decades. Many of Nasser’s victims told parents, coaches and MSU and USGA officials of Nasser’s sexual crimes. “I’m sick of MSU trying to look good instead of be good,” said MSU gymnast Jessica Smith, admitting Nasser abused her for two months when she was 17. Smith said she told MSU Gymnastic Coach Kathie Klages of Nasser’s abuse, despite ignoring her complaints. MSU, USGA and Olympic officials ignored mandatory state reporting requirements for sexual abuse.
Letting a pervert like Nasser molest generations young women under Michigan State University and United States Gymnastics Assn. was inexcusable. “They are denying any responsibility, saying they didn’t know a predator was among them . . .” said McCaul, calling out MSU,USGA and USOC to conduct and independent investigation of all parties that took no action to protect young women from a serial child molester. Once the sex abuse survivors conclude testifying in open court and Judge Acquilina puts Nasser away for life, there must be a top-down investigation of MSU, USGA and the U.S. Olympic Committee to find out who knew of Nasser’s crimes and when they knew it. Whether it’s the heads of MSU, USGA or USOC, justice must be served from top-to- bottom. While Nasser’s victims may never recover, justice must be served for all responsible.
