Judge says 265 have come forward with sexual assault allegations against Larry Nassar

Jan. 31--A Michigan judge said 265 people have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against former U.S. Gymnastics Olympic doctor Larry Nassar.

Judge Janice Cunningham has set aside several days for at least 65 of those victims to confront the disgraced doctor in court for another sentencing hearing.

"I was afraid to open an old wound," Annie Labrie said Wednesday, "then I remembered there's power in numbers."

Madison Bonofiglio during her victim-impact statement suggested the total number may be higher still.

The former gymnast told the court she had "at least 10" other friends who have opted against coming forward with their own allegations. Some thought such a decision would be for the best while others "didn't think it happened enough to them."

"It really makes me sad that some of my best friends think that because they were only assaulted by Larry five or 10 times that wasn't enough to matter," Bonofiglio said. "I think it really matters."

Nassar is facing an additional prison sentence -- his third -- for molesting gymnasts at Lansing-area gymnastics club Twistars, which was run by 2012 Olympic coach John Geddert.

Amy Preston, a mother of one of the victims, recalled her fondness for Nassar and how he seemed to treat her daughter with food and gifts.

"The saint we all loved and adored," she said.

Preston continued on to say her daughter wanted to quit the sport once she started receiving treatments from Nassar, and that she did not acknowledge the abuse until September 2017. She became suicidal.

The former Michigan State University doctor earlier this month listened to more than 150 women offer gut-wrenching testimony of abuse over an emotional seven-day sentencing hearing.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina at its end sentenced Nassar to between 40 and 175 years behind bars.

"He first molested me when I was nine, when I was in fifth grade, before I had braces, and when I was still playing with American girl dolls," 17-year-old Jessica Thomashow said Wednesday.

Thomashow, who has already appeared in court eight times, said she was assaulted by Nassar between until she was 12. She also recalled how he laughed and giggled during some of her previous testimonies.

"You took advantage of my innocence and trust," 17-year-old Jessica Thomashow told the convicted abuser Wednesday morning. "You were my doctor. Why? I asked myself that question all the time."

A statement read on behalf of Bailey Lorencen detailed the lingering trauma of Nassar's abuse on her both mentally and physically.

"It took 37,000 pornographic images to be believed. And you wonder why nobody spoke up," she said.

"I can't even run, and I'm 22 years old. I'm so angry and depressed by this, thinking that maybe if I had a different doctor I would be able to run today."

In December Nassar was separately sentenced to 60 years in prison on child porn charges.

Olympic medalist Simone Biles in recent interviews also discussed the lasting impacts of Nassar's abuse.

"I feels like he took a part of me that I can't get back," she said, adding that she spent a long time in denial before coming to terms with the abuse.

Bonofiglio at first didn't want to address her abuser but changed her mind when Aquilina read portions of a letter Nassar had written to the court.

"I was a good doctor, because my treatments worked and those patients that are now speaking out were the same ones that praised and came back over and over," he wrote. "The media convinced them that it was wrong and bad."

Bonofiglio said she met Nassar when she was around 8 years old and that the abuse continued throughout her time as a gymnast. It wasn't until she was 16, visiting Nassar for a neck injury, did she begin questioning the legitimacy of his "treatment."

"I did not know if I was just being a dramatic," she said. "I was so young. I didn't even know what my body was. He ruined that for me."

She added that she has "no good memories" from her time in the gymnastics.

"It's all clouded by memories of you. You are a horrible human being and a waste of life," Bonofiglio said.

In wake of Nassar's high-profile sentencing hearing at the start of the month, Michigan State University President Lou Anna Smith and Athletic Director Mark Hollis have resigned. And the entire board of United States Gymnastic's board of directors resigned by the Wednesday deadline set by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

USAG also announced it would cut ties with Karolyi Ranch -- the longtime training facility for the national team -- after athletes alleged they'd been abused there.

With News Wire Services

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