News

Actions

Former USA Gymnastics doctor indicted on federal charges

Posted at 10:43 AM, Dec 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-19 11:40:25-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A federal grand jury has indicted a former physician for the U.S. Gymnastics Team with child pornography charges.

Lawrence Gerard Nassar could spend between five and 40 years in prison if convicted of the charges.  The U.S. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids made the announcement Monday morning.

The grand jury alleges that Nassar received and attempted to receive child porn in 2004, and possessed thousands of images of child porn between February 2003 and September 2016.

Nassar was in court last Friday on the charges. The court is determining whether or not Nassar should be allowed to post bond.

Nassar has already been charged with sexual assault in state courts and is a target in civil lawsuits filed by former female gymnasts.

Besides working for Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, Nassar was a doctor at Michigan State University and treated gymnasts from all over Michigan. He was fired earlier this year.

Nassar will be arraigned Wednesday, December 21 at the federal court in Grand Rapids.

Anyone with information about additional child pornography offenses, or criminal sexual conduct Dr. Nassar may have committed outside Michigan or abroad, should contact the Detroit FBI Office at (313) 965-2323. For those with information about alleged sexual assaults Dr. Nassar committed within Michigan should contact the Michigan State University Police at 844-99-MSUPD (67873).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.