As his victims wept in a Michigan courtroom on Wednesday, disgraced long-time USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for abusing young female gymnasts who were entrusted to his care.

&quot;I&#39;ve signed your death warrant,&quot; Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar, following days of accounts from about 160 of his victims.

Spectators and victims cried, applauded and embraced as Nassar, 54, wearing a dark blue jailhouse jumpsuit, was led out of the courtroom. Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse him in 2016, shared a hug with Angela Povilaitis, the lead prosecutor.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Another gymnast said she was only 6 years old when Nassar began molesting her and blamed the doctor for her father&#39;s suicide once he realised she had not been lying about the abuse she endured.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Another gymnast said she was only 6 years old when Nassar began molesting her and blamed the doctor for her father's suicide once he realised she had not been lying about the abuse she endured." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Nassar, who served as the program&#39;s physician through four Olympic Games, apologised to his victims during the hearing, telling them, &quot;I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days.&quot;

Aquilina dismissed his statement as insincere and courtroom spectators gasped as the judge read aloud from a letter he wrote to her claiming he was a good doctor who was manipulated into pleading guilty.

Nassar, who already is serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for child pornography convictions, also said his accusers fabricated claims to gain money and fame, writing, &quot;Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.&quot;

&quot;Would you like to withdraw your plea?&quot; Aquilina asked Nassar after tossing aside his letter.

&quot;No, your honor,&quot; Nassar said.

&quot;Because you are guilty, aren&#39;t you? Are you guilty, sir?&quot; the judge demanded.

After a long pause, Nassar said quietly, &quot;I have said my plea, exactly.&quot;

Changing view

The prosecution and Aquilina emphasized the broader significance of the sentencing, coming amid a national debate over sexual misconduct prompted by accusations against powerful men from Hollywood to Washington.

&quot;At this particular moment in history, this sentence and hearing will be viewed as a turning point in how our community, our state, our nation, our culture looks at sexual abuse,&quot; Povilaitis said.

Aquilina rattled off a series of statistics about the prevalence of sexual abuse before saying, &quot;It stops now.&quot;

The sentencing followed an extraordinary week-long hearing that saw Nassar&#39;s victims unflinchingly, defiantly tell their stories in raw terms.

Despite Nassar&#39;s objections, Aquilina allowed victims who were not part of his guilty plea to speak at his sentencing. Throughout much of the proceedings, the bespectacled Nassar sat with his head bowed, rarely making eye contact with his accusers.

The women ranged from famous Olympic gold medallists like Aly Raisman to former gymnasts like Denhollander, now a lawyer, who was the last of the victims to speak on Wednesday and whom Aquilina described as &quot;the bravest person I have ever had in my courtroom.&quot;

McKayla Maroney, a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, called Nassar a &quot;monster human being,&quot; while a former member of the U.S. national team said his abuse led to depression and an eating disorder.

Another gymnast said she was only 6 years old when Nassar began molesting her and blamed the doctor for her father&#39;s suicide once he realized she had not been lying about the abuse she endured.

&quot;I&#39;ve been forever changed by all of this and I will never feel small again,&quot; Bailey Lorencen said after the sentencing. She had been an anonymous accuser until she spoke in court this week. &quot;I have a different confidence in myself as a woman.&quot;

In addition to Raisman and Maroney, Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas went public in recent months with their own accusations against Nassar.

Nassar pleaded guilty in November to seven counts of first-degree sex assault in Ingham County, as well as three charges in Eaton County, where he is due to be sentenced next week.

Institutions questioned&nbsp;

The scandal&#39;s impact is far from over, with prominent gymnasts castigating USA Gymnastics for its handling of the scandal and the president of Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked, coming under pressure to resign.

Around 140 victims have filed a lawsuit against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, claiming the institutions knew about allegations of abuse years ago and failed to act. The gymnastics body and the school have asked a judge to dismiss the cases.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into Michigan State&#39;s handling of the case. The school&#39;s athletic director said in a statement that it would fully cooperate.

The Michigan House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday calling on Michigan State to fire its president, Lou Anna Simon.

The Detroit Free Press, citing multiple sources, said Simon plans to step down on Thursday. University officials were not immediately available for comment.

Some of the sport&#39;s biggest names, most notably Raisman, have said USA Gymnastics is in need of reform.

On Monday, three board members resigned in the wake of the scandal, following the exit last March of the federation&#39;s president and chief executive.

But that was not enough for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). On Wednesday, its chief executive, Scott Blackmun, said in an open letter that &quot;all current USA Gymnastics directors must resign.&quot;

He also said the USOC would launch an independent, third-party investigation into the Nassar scandal to determine &quot;when complaints were brought forward and to who.&quot; He said the results would be made public.

USA Gymnastics replied that it supports the open letter but did not address the calls for the mass resignation. According to its web page, it has 18 directors.

Kerry Perry, who became USA Gymnastics president in December, on Wednesday applauded the sentence and vowed to &quot;create a culture that empowers and supports&quot; the program&#39;s athletes. 
&nbsp;

Larry Nassar is accused of sexually abusing a string of young female gymnasts under his care. 140 victims had filed charges against him

As his victims wept in a Michigan courtroom on Wednesday, disgraced long-time USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for abusing young female gymnasts who were entrusted to his care. "I've signed your death warrant," Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina told Nassar, following days of accounts from about 160 of his victims. Spectators and victims cried, applauded and embraced as Nassar, 54, wearing a dark blue jailhouse jumpsuit, was led out of the courtroom. Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse him in 2016, shared a hug with Angela Povilaitis, the lead prosecutor. Another gymnast said she was only 6 years old when Nassar began molesting her and blamed the doctor for her father's suicide once he realised she had not been lying about the abuse she endured. × Nassar, who served as the program's physician through four Olympic Games, apologised to his victims during the hearing, telling them, "I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days." Aquilina dismissed his statement as insincere and courtroom spectators gasped as the judge read aloud from a letter he wrote to her claiming he was a good doctor who was manipulated into pleading guilty. Nassar, who already is serving a 60-year sentence in federal prison for child pornography convictions, also said his accusers fabricated claims to gain money and fame, writing, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." "Would you like to withdraw your plea?" Aquilina asked Nassar after tossing aside his letter. "No, your honor," Nassar said. "Because you are guilty, aren't you? Are you guilty, sir?" the judge demanded. After a long pause, Nassar said quietly, "I have said my plea, exactly." Changing view The prosecution and Aquilina emphasized the broader significance of the sentencing, coming amid a national debate over sexual misconduct prompted by accusations against powerful men from Hollywood to Washington. "At this particular moment in history, this sentence and hearing will be viewed as a turning point in how our community, our state, our nation, our culture looks at sexual abuse," Povilaitis said. Aquilina rattled off a series of statistics about the prevalence of sexual abuse before saying, "It stops now." The sentencing followed an extraordinary week-long hearing that saw Nassar's victims unflinchingly, defiantly tell their stories in raw terms. Despite Nassar's objections, Aquilina allowed victims who were not part of his guilty plea to speak at his sentencing. Throughout much of the proceedings, the bespectacled Nassar sat with his head bowed, rarely making eye contact with his accusers. The women ranged from famous Olympic gold medallists like Aly Raisman to former gymnasts like Denhollander, now a lawyer, who was the last of the victims to speak on Wednesday and whom Aquilina described as "the bravest person I have ever had in my courtroom." McKayla Maroney, a gold medallist at the 2012 London Olympics, called Nassar a "monster human being," while a former member of the U.S. national team said his abuse led to depression and an eating disorder. Another gymnast said she was only 6 years old when Nassar began molesting her and blamed the doctor for her father's suicide once he realized she had not been lying about the abuse she endured. "I've been forever changed by all of this and I will never feel small again," Bailey Lorencen said after the sentencing. She had been an anonymous accuser until she spoke in court this week. "I have a different confidence in myself as a woman." In addition to Raisman and Maroney, Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles, Jordyn Wieber and Gabby Douglas went public in recent months with their own accusations against Nassar. Nassar pleaded guilty in November to seven counts of first-degree sex assault in Ingham County, as well as three charges in Eaton County, where he is due to be sentenced next week. Institutions questioned The scandal's impact is far from over, with prominent gymnasts castigating USA Gymnastics for its handling of the scandal and the president of Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked, coming under pressure to resign. Around 140 victims have filed a lawsuit against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State, claiming the institutions knew about allegations of abuse years ago and failed to act. The gymnastics body and the school have asked a judge to dismiss the cases. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) said on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into Michigan State's handling of the case. The school's athletic director said in a statement that it would fully cooperate. The Michigan House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday calling on Michigan State to fire its president, Lou Anna Simon. The Detroit Free Press, citing multiple sources, said Simon plans to step down on Thursday. University officials were not immediately available for comment. Some of the sport's biggest names, most notably Raisman, have said USA Gymnastics is in need of reform. On Monday, three board members resigned in the wake of the scandal, following the exit last March of the federation's president and chief executive. But that was not enough for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). On Wednesday, its chief executive, Scott Blackmun, said in an open letter that "all current USA Gymnastics directors must resign." He also said the USOC would launch an independent, third-party investigation into the Nassar scandal to determine "when complaints were brought forward and to who." He said the results would be made public. USA Gymnastics replied that it supports the open letter but did not address the calls for the mass resignation. According to its web page, it has 18 directors. Kerry Perry, who became USA Gymnastics president in December, on Wednesday applauded the sentence and vowed to "create a culture that empowers and supports" the program's athletes.

'I've signed your death warrant,' judge tells ex-USA Gymnastics doctor

A father whose three daughters say they were<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/abuse-victims-face-convicted-larry-nassar-in-court-29781" target="_blank"> sexually abused by Larry Nassar </a>lunged at the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor in a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/michigan-launches-probe-into-us-gymnastics-sex-abuse-doctor-30961" target="_blank">Michigan courtroom</a> Friday, bringing his sentencing hearing to an abrupt halt while order was restored.

The disruption came on the last day of victim impact statements before <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-usa-gymnastics-doctor-gets-up-to-175-years-as-abuse-victims-applaud-30692" target="_blank">Nassar</a> -- already condemned to spend dozens of years behind bars on child sex abuse and pornography charges -- hears his final sentence on Monday.

At least 265 female athletes -- including several Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics -- have claimed the 54-year-old Nassar abused them over a period of two decades.&nbsp;

The disruption came as dozens more women confronted Nassar and told the Charlotte court of the sexual abuse they suffered under the guise of medical treatment.&nbsp;

Randall Margraves hurled himself toward Nassar after two of his daughters spoke about their abuse. A third daughter had given a statement in a separate hearing about a week ago.

Margraves asked the judge to &quot;grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon.&quot;

The comment at first elicited chuckles in the courtroom, but Margraves then lunged towards the defense table. Three sheriff&#39;s deputies tackled him and Nassar was removed from the courtroom.

&quot;I want that son of a bitch!&quot; Margraves yelled as he was being handcuffed. 
The hearing later resumed with an appeal for calm from Judge Janice Cunningham.&nbsp;

Margraves was arrested but quickly released.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m embarrassed. I&#39;m not here to upstage my daughters,&quot; he told the judge. &quot;I lost control. I apologize a hundred times.&quot;

Under a plea agreement over the final set of charges, Nassar could receive an additional 25 to 40 years in prison from Cunningham.

&#39;My heart goes out to you&#39;&nbsp;

Cunningham, expressing sympathy, did not impose a fine or jail sentence on Margraves.&nbsp;

&quot;My heart goes full out to you and your family, because of what you&#39;ve gone through,&quot; the judge said.&nbsp;

Margraves explained that he did not know in advance what his daughters were going to say in court and was overcome with emotion.&nbsp;

&quot;I gotta hear that and I look over here and Larry Nassar is shaking his head &#39;no,&#39; like it didn&#39;t happen,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Within hours, an online fundraiser had raised more than $12,000 for Margraves.&nbsp;

&#39;Her quiet tears&#39;&nbsp;

Several other parents also addressed the court, speaking of their anguish at failing to protect their children.&nbsp;

A father who asked to remain anonymous said his daughter had initially refused to come forward &quot;because she did not want me to feel sorry for what happened.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m so sorry, my princess,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Lynn Erickson said her daughter Ashley was treated by Nassar for 17 years until August 2016, when assault accusations first became public.&nbsp;

&quot;When I see her quiet tears, it breaks my heart,&quot; Erickson said as her daughter stood crying behind her.

The victim statements ended, as they had during the first sentencing, with the words of Rachael Denhollander -- the first to publicly accuse Nassar of abuse.&nbsp;

&quot;He devastated children and he devastated families,&quot; she said, asking the judge for the maximum sentence possible.&nbsp;

Gymnastics team coordinator out&nbsp;

The Nassar case has triggered a wave of upheaval in the gymnastics world.&nbsp;

Valeri Liukin -- the father of 2008 US gold medalist Nastia Liukin -- on Friday became the latest to exit USA Gymnastics, abruptly resigning as coordinator of the US national women&#39;s team.&nbsp;

The &quot;present climate causes me, and more importantly my family, far too much stress, difficulty and uncertainty,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Also Friday, the Michigan attorney general&#39;s office said state investigators entered Michigan State University unannounced, looking for &quot;physical items assigned to William Strampel,&quot; the former head of the department where Nassar worked.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The disruption came on the last day of victim impact statements before Nassar -- already condemned to spend dozens of years behind bars on child sex abuse and pornography charges -- hears his final sentence on Monday

A father whose three daughters say they were sexually abused by Larry Nassar lunged at the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor in a Michigan courtroom Friday, bringing his sentencing hearing to an abrupt halt while order was restored. The disruption came on the last day of victim impact statements before Nassar -- already condemned to spend dozens of years behind bars on child sex abuse and pornography charges -- hears his final sentence on Monday. At least 265 female athletes -- including several Olympic gold medalists in gymnastics -- have claimed the 54-year-old Nassar abused them over a period of two decades. The disruption came as dozens more women confronted Nassar and told the Charlotte court of the sexual abuse they suffered under the guise of medical treatment. Randall Margraves hurled himself toward Nassar after two of his daughters spoke about their abuse. A third daughter had given a statement in a separate hearing about a week ago. Margraves asked the judge to "grant me five minutes in a locked room with this demon." The comment at first elicited chuckles in the courtroom, but Margraves then lunged towards the defense table. Three sheriff's deputies tackled him and Nassar was removed from the courtroom. "I want that son of a bitch!" Margraves yelled as he was being handcuffed. The hearing later resumed with an appeal for calm from Judge Janice Cunningham. Margraves was arrested but quickly released. "I'm embarrassed. I'm not here to upstage my daughters," he told the judge. "I lost control. I apologize a hundred times." Under a plea agreement over the final set of charges, Nassar could receive an additional 25 to 40 years in prison from Cunningham. 'My heart goes out to you' Cunningham, expressing sympathy, did not impose a fine or jail sentence on Margraves. "My heart goes full out to you and your family, because of what you've gone through," the judge said. Margraves explained that he did not know in advance what his daughters were going to say in court and was overcome with emotion. "I gotta hear that and I look over here and Larry Nassar is shaking his head 'no,' like it didn't happen," he said. Within hours, an online fundraiser had raised more than $12,000 for Margraves. 'Her quiet tears' Several other parents also addressed the court, speaking of their anguish at failing to protect their children. A father who asked to remain anonymous said his daughter had initially refused to come forward "because she did not want me to feel sorry for what happened." "I'm so sorry, my princess," he said. Lynn Erickson said her daughter Ashley was treated by Nassar for 17 years until August 2016, when assault accusations first became public. "When I see her quiet tears, it breaks my heart," Erickson said as her daughter stood crying behind her. The victim statements ended, as they had during the first sentencing, with the words of Rachael Denhollander -- the first to publicly accuse Nassar of abuse. "He devastated children and he devastated families," she said, asking the judge for the maximum sentence possible. Gymnastics team coordinator out The Nassar case has triggered a wave of upheaval in the gymnastics world. Valeri Liukin -- the father of 2008 US gold medalist Nastia Liukin -- on Friday became the latest to exit USA Gymnastics, abruptly resigning as coordinator of the US national women's team. The "present climate causes me, and more importantly my family, far too much stress, difficulty and uncertainty," he said. Also Friday, the Michigan attorney general's office said state investigators entered Michigan State University unannounced, looking for "physical items assigned to William Strampel," the former head of the department where Nassar worked.

Nassar hearing halted as father lunges at disgraced doctor

michigan-courtroom

Michigan Courtroom, News on Michigan Courtroom, stories on Michigan Courtroom, articles on Michigan Courtroom, Michigan Courtroom stories at Wion, Michigan Courtroom news, Michigan Courtroom latest news

michigan courtroom

'I've signed your death warrant,' judge tells ex-USA Gymnastics doctor

Nassar hearing halted as father lunges at disgraced doctor