Ex-US Olympic Coach Faces Charges Of Sexual Assault, Abuse - Michigan Attorney General

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2021) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office said on Thursday that it has filed 24 charges against former US Olympic coach John Geddert for allegedly sexually and physically abusing his former female gymnasts.

"Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office has filed 24 criminal charges against John Geddert, former US Olympics gymnastics coach and former owner of Lansing-area Twistars USA Gymnastics Club, accusing him of committing at least one sexual assault and multiple incidents of physical abuse against dozens of his young female athletes," the governor's office said in a press release.

The 63-year-old Geddert is charged with 14 counts of human trafficking, forced labor causing injury; six counts of human trafficking of a minor for forced labor; one count of continuing criminal enterprise, one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct; one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct; and one count of lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation.

If convicted, Geddert will face a sentence of life in prison, the release said.

Geddert was associated with US gymnastics team's former doctor Larry Nassar, who was sentenced to 60 years in prison in 2017 for possessing child pornography. Nassar was also given another 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing young female athletes. More than 260 women and girls have claimed they were assaulted by Nassar.