Ex-USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar sentenced to 60 years for child pornography
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Michigan sports doctor was sentenced Thursday to serve 60 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. It's the maximum sentence that prosecutors sought for Larry Nassar, who had more than 37,000 images of child porn on electronic devices.
U.S. District Judge Janet Neff ruled that Nassar's federal punishment would start after any sentences handed down in state court for molesting gymnasts with his hands. He's scheduled to be sentenced for those crimes in January.
Nassar, 54, worked at Michigan State University and at USA Gymnastics, the Indianapolis-based group that trains Olympians.
"Underneath this veneer lurked a predator," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Lewis said.
Olympians Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas say they were victims when Nassar worked for USA Gymnastics and accompanied them at workouts or international events.
In an interview broadcast on CBS' "60 Minutes," Raisman told CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook that she initially thought Nassar was providing legitimate medical treatment.
"I didn't know anything differently," she said. "We were told he's the best doctor, he's the United States Olympic doctor and the USA Gymnastics doctor, and we were very lucky we were able to see him."
Nassar is a "monster" who "left scars on my psyche that may never go away," Maroney said in a letter to Neff.
In a court filing, defense lawyers said Nassar "deeply regrets the pain that he has caused the community."
The child pornography was discovered last year when Nassar was being investigated for assault.
Aside from the criminal cases, more than 100 women and girls are suing Nassar. Michigan State and USA Gymnastics are defendants in many of the lawsuits.