Schuette: Nassar is 'a monster' and more charges coming
New charges are connected to Nassar's former role as an MSU doctor
LANSING - Larry Nassar now faces 22 new sexual assault charges, the first connected to his role as a doctor, and Attorney General Bill Schuette said there will "absolutely" be more relating to the more than 80 women or girls who have made allegations.
Police secured warrants for the first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges Wednesday morning in 55th District Court in Ingham County and District Court in Eaton County, officials said. More than half the charges directly relate to his work as a doctor at Michigan State University's Sports Medicine practice and the rest are tied to his work with a gymnastics club.
Five counts involved girls who were under the age of 13; the rest involved girls between ages 13 and 16.
"This guy is a monster," Schuette said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. "What he did under this disguise, this guise, this hoax of providing medical treatment to young women who had injuries, and what he did, shocks the conscience and it rocks you in every way. In every worst way."
The charges Wednesday relate to nine accusers, some of whom are now adults. According to court records, say they were sexually assaulted during medical appointments. All nine said Nassar's treatments included digital vaginal or anal penetration without consent.
Matt Newburg, one of Nassar's attorneys, declined to comment. Nassar, 53, has previously denied any wrongdoing and said he performed legitimate medical procedures.
Nassar worked for decades with Michigan State University and with USA Gymnastics. The university fired him in September. He left USA Gymastics in fall 2015 with little notice.
► Here’s a timeline of Nassar’s decades-long career and the allegations against him
MSU President Lou Anna Simon issued a brief statement after the AG's news conferences. "While investigations continue, based on the criminal charges brought against him by the Michigan Attorney General and federal U.S. Attorney’s Office, one thing is clear: Nassar used his reputation and standing as a physician to take advantage of his patients’ trust," she said. Simon also urged victims to contact the MSU Police Department.
In all, Nassar faces 25 sexual assault charges in state courts and three child pornography charges in federal court. On Friday, a judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Nassar to stand trial on the three initial sexual assault charges. Previous charges -- three sexual assault counts in Ingham County and three child pornography counts in federal court -- do not relate to Nassar's role as a doctor.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted on the state charges and up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the federal charges.
The Ingham County charges relate to medical appointments at Michigan State University's Sports medicine clinic offices or after-hours at Nassar's home in Holt, according to court documents. The Eaton County charges relate to Nassar's work at Geddert’s Twistars Gymnastics Club in Dimondale.
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An additional 14 counts also were authorized as potential alternate charges for some of the 22 total charges.
Michigan State University police Det. Sgt. Andrea Munford testified Wednesday morning during a hearing that led to charges in Ingham County that Nassar did not obtain consent from the patients or their parents and did not wear gloves.
Some of the women told police Nassar was sexually aroused during the procedures and that at times the penetration lasted up to 30 minutes. Some of the women also told police Nassar digitally penetrated them in the presence of their parents, who were blocked from full view of the doctor's actions.
Ingham County Magistrate Mark Blumer signed warrants Wednesday morning at the end of a 20-minute hearing.
"I further find that there is no reasonable reason to believe that the processes followed by the defendant were legitimate medical practices," he said. "And because of that I find him to be an immediate danger to the public and I am denying bond pending arraignment on these charges."
Nassar is in federal custody and is being held without bail on other charges.
"The allegations of sexual assault against Dr. Nassar continue to increase nearly every day, and we remain constantly in contact with the victims as we move forward," Michigan State University Police Chief Jim Dunlap said in a statement prior to the news conference. "Our priority is getting justice for the survivors and we are determined to make certain that occurs. I encourage anyone who may have been a victim of Larry Nassar to come forward by contacting the MSU Police Department."
Many of the accusers told police they began seeing Nassar for pain in their hips, backs, hamstrings, or for other issues. They were identified in affidavits filed with the courts by letters of the alphabet.
Victim F saw Nassar more than 30 times over several years, Munford testified in Ingham County. During the first appointment, Victim F told police that Nassar explained to her and her mother that he knew of an Australian technique, which he didn’t explain, Munford testified.
"Victim F stated that when her mother was in the room Nassar covered her with a sheet," Munford testified. "When her mother stood up to see what was happening, Nassar stopped penetrating her."
The woman told police that Nassar’s penetration became more "aggressive and invasive" over time and she would often grit her teeth to prevent "yelping in pain," Munford said.
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The penetration often lasted 45 minutes, Munford added, and there were times during the penetration that Nassar had a hand on the woman’s breasts.
"Victim F also saw Nassar with a noticeable erection," the detective testified. "During one appointment he told her to shave her pubic hair. On another occasion, while penetrating her, he talked about fingering his ex-girlfriend in the same way."
Munford testified that Nassar made several other inappropriate comments.
Since September, when the Indianapolis Star detailed sexual assault allegations against Nassar from two women, 81 women or girls have reported to law enforcement that Nassar sexually abused them, officials have said. In November, when Nassar was first charged, officials said that some 60 women or girls had come forward.
More than 40 women or girls have filed lawsuits against MSU, Nassar, USA Gymnastics or Dimondale-based Twistars gymnastics club and say they were sexually assaulted during medical appointments. The procedures in question, according to court documents, included digital vaginal and anal penetration.
The criminal investigation of Nassar that started in September isn't the first the doctor has faced.
Meridian Township police investigated him in 2004, but a request for charges was never sent to prosecutors. Police have declined to release records in that investigation, saying it was reopened last year.
University police investigated Nassar in 2014 after a then recent graduate said he sexually assaulted her during an appointment at his campus office for hip pain treatment. The Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, then led by Stuart Dunnings III, declined to issue charges. Prosecutors and police have declined to release records because that case also has been reopened.
During the news conference on Wednesday, Dunlap said that when the 2014 investigation was sent back from prosecutors without authorizing charges it included a note saying that what Nassar was said to have done might be a legitimate medical procedure. The woman who reported Nassar to authorities in 2014 did not say that Nassar digitally penetrated her, rather that he rubbed her vaginal area, according to university records.
That 2014 complaint also prompted MSU to open an internal Title IX investigation, and MSU ultimately cleared Nassar, in part, based on the opinions of four medical experts with close ties to Nassar and the university.
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ContactMatt Mencarini at (517) 267-1347 or mmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter@MattMencarini. Contact him on Signal, a messaging app with end-to-end encryption, at 517-281-1939.
What's next
Dr. Larry Nassar is expected to be arraigned in Ingham County's 55th District Court at 10 a.m. Thursday and in Eaton County District Court at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Nassar is being held in federal custody without bond.