Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, pleaded guilty in a Michigan court on Wednesday to additional counts of criminal sexual conduct for assaulting girls under the guise of medical treatment, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette said.
Nassar, 54, appeared in Michigan’s Eaton County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.
He did not make a statement beyond briefly answering the judge’s questions, according to The Detroit News.
Nassar’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Larry Nassar (flanked by his attorneys) pleaded guilty to three felony counts of first degree crimincal sexual conduct on Wednesday in a Michigan court
Nassar (pictured during a plea hearing on November 22) admitted to digitally penetrating three girls, one of whom was younger than 13 and two of whom were between 13 and 15
He admitted that he digitally penetrated three girls and told them it was part of their medical treatment. One girl was younger than 13 and two were between the ages of 13 and 15 when the assaults occurred between 2009 and 2011.
Nassar was the team physician for the Michigan State University gymnastics and women’s crew teams, as well as an associate professor at MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He served as the USA Gymnastics physician through four Olympic Games.
Last week, Nassar pleaded guilty in nearby Ingham County to seven felony counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct despite his earlier denials of wrongdoing.
Wednesday’s guilty pleas put an end to criminal sexual conduct charges brought by the Michigan Attorney General’s office against Nassar in Eaton and Ingham counties.
The Eaton County sentencing hearing will be held on January 31.
The Ingham County sentencing hearing will be held on January 12 when all of the 125 reported victims or their parents will be allowed to give victim impact statements.
USA gymnast Gabby Douglas said she suffered abuse at the hands of Nassar
Fellow gymnast Alexandra Raisman said in an interview with 60 Minutes that she also suffered abuse
McKayla Maroney, another USA gymnast, also said she was abused
He also faces child pornography charges and will be sentenced for those alleged crimes on December 7.
Last week’s plea deal with prosecutors calls for a minimum prison sentence of 25 years but the judge could set the minimum as high as 40 years.
Nassar’s plea deal follows claims by two of the United States’ most decorated gymnasts, Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, that they had been sexually abused by the former USA Gymnastics team doctor. McKayla Maroney, another gymnast, has also publicly said that Nassar abused her.
Three-times Olympic gold medalist Douglas earlier this month said she was sexually abused by Nassar while Raisman, also a three-times gold medalist, made similar allegations in an interview with CBS News program ’60 Minutes.’
During the November 22 hearing, Nassar apologized and said it was time for his victims to begin healing, The Detroit News reported.