The 18-year-old male gymnast who has joined a civil suit against Larry Nassar after he was sexually assaulted by the disgraced doctor sat down for his first television interview on Tuesday.
Jacob Moore spoke with Today about his anger and disgust over what happened in April 2016 when he went to Nassar’s home to receive treatment for a shoulder injury.
Court papers and his sister’s own testimony state that Jacob was taken down to the basement and had his pants ripped down by Nassar who then stuck acupuncture needles in and around his genitals and pubic region.
This all occurred while a minor female gymnast, who has not been identified, sat in the room.
It also happened eight months after USA Gymnastics became aware of allegations that Nassar had sexually abused gymnasts Maggie Nichols, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.
‘I hope he rots in hell,’ said Jacob of Nassar, who also abused his sister.
Speaking out: Jacob Moore (above on Today) was identified as the first male victim of Larry Nassar during his sister Kamerin’s victim impact statement back in January
He has joined the federal civil suit that was filed in Michigan Western District Court by Rachael Denhollander in January 2017 (Jacob seen above competing for the University of Michigan)
Victims: Jacob and his sister Kamerin had lost their father just a few years prior to Nassar’s abuse (siblings above)
‘I wasn’t a dumb kid. I knew kind of what medical practices were, and that one was out of the ordinary,’ said Jacob during the interview.
He, like so many other victims, did not think too much into that, however, given Nassar’s esteemed reputation – but admits he was ‘uncomfortable.’
Then, when the allegations against Nassar began pouring in, he decided to do some research.
‘Having found nothing, I kind of freaked out. It was just very shocking,’ said Jacob, who is currently a competitive gymnast at the University of Michigan.
‘So that’s just really sickening to me that he would violate a trust like that and the things that he did were just awful.’
He later appeared on Megyn Kelly Today and was asked whether or not the fact that he was a young man made the already difficult decision to speak out even more of a challenge.
‘When all this kind of started coming out, I didn’t really think about myself as any different, you know. Just like how the other female victims kind of came out and told their story,’ explained Jacob.
‘It was – you know, I didn’t see myself as any different.’
He then recounted the day he realized he was a victim while out to lunch with his sister, and how his research later confirmed his fears.
Jacob also reiterated how powerful Nassar was, and the impact he had on those around him in the gymnastics world.
‘He had a strong, prevalent relationship with a lot of coaches in my gym and athletes, myself included,’ said Jacob.
‘He was good friends with my mom. When my sister retired from the sport, he was the only man that she called to make that decision, so he was very present in our lives.’
Panel: Jacob later appeared on Megyn Kelly Today (above) with former gymnast Jeanette Antolin (second right) and swimmer Ariana Kukors (second left)
Jacob is now one of the more than 150 plaintiffs who have joined the federal civil suit filed by Rachael Denhollander against Nassar, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State.
‘Plaintiff Jacob Moore believes the conduct of Dr. Nassar was sexual assault, battery, abuse, molestation and harassment performed by Defendant Nassar for Defendant Nassar’s sexual pleasure and gratification,’ reads the amended complaint which was filed in Denhollander vs. Michigan State et al.
His specific allegations are then detailed in a few brief bullet points, which reveals that his mother had joined him on the day he received the treatment in question, but was not in the room.
Jacob’s sister has also joined the federal suit.
Kamerin Moore revealed in January that her brother was a victim of Nassar.
She said during her victim impact statement that Jacob was abused when he was treated by Nassar after suffering a shoulder injury.
‘I was there for one person and had to watch them process their confusion – my own brother,’ Kamerin said in court.
‘He’s now a gymnast at the University of Michigan and when he realized what a monster you where I watched him frantically search the Internet trying to find some proof that the chi in his shoulder was related to his genitals.’
Kamerin then gave some more context to her story.
‘Because when he had surgery on his shoulder you treated him. In your basement. You pulled his pants slightly down to expose him, in front of one of your other female victims actually who was in that basement as well. And you put acupuncture needles next to his genitals,’ explained Moore.
‘I’m not sure how my brother’s shoulder is connected to his balls, but I guess chi works in weird ways.’
Brave young woman: Jacob’s assault occurred eight months after USA Gymnastics learned of allegations that Nassar has sexually abused Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman during treatment (Kamerin delivering her victim impact statement to Nassar)
Monster: In April 2016, Nassar took off Jacob’s pants in front of a minor female and stuck acupuncture needles in and around his genitals and pubic region (Nassar above during his January sentencing hearing in Ingham Count)
Kamerin also described how Nassar actually asked if he could videotape himself performing a procedure on her, a request she denied at the time.
The mother-to-be said that she was apprehensive about speaking out, but knew she had to confront the man who had assaulted her while she was a member of the US junior national team.
‘I didn’t want this child I’m carrying to be in the same room with a child molester,’ said Kamerin.
She then spoke of her own late night appointments with Nassar, which no one blinked an eye at and began when she was just 10.
‘You called me your guinea pig because you would always try out new techniques on me,’ said Kamerin.
‘I vividly remember the first time. I remember you told me I had to wear either my leotard or shorts. I remember how absolutely mortified I was when you asked me if I started my period yet, because you could not do the treatment if I had a tampon in.’
Kamerin then said that she blamed herself most of all for the assaults.
‘I’m mad at myself when I think about every time you put your fingers inside of me and I continued to trust you no matter how disgusted and embarrassed I was,’ said the young woman.
She later told the court that Nassar’s abuse got worse when she was 12, after the death of her father.
‘You molested a little girl who had just lost her father,’ said a devastated and disgusted Kamerin.
Kamerin previously described the moment Nassar asked if he could tape her in April of last year.
‘To be very clear about what he was asking: he was asking as a 40-year-old man or however old he was, to videotape himself touching a 13-year-old girl’s naked private parts,’ she explained in a video.
‘And if nothing else, if he was a well-respected doctor still and he was a good person and they hadn’t found thousands of images and videos of child pornography on his devices, this would still be wrong.’