Former US Olympic gymnastics coach John Geddert, who had ties to disgraced workforce physician Larry Nassar and was charged earlier on Thursday with human trafficking and sexual assault, has since taken his personal life, authorities stated.
Based on courtroom paperwork filed in Michigan’s Eaton County, Geddert was charged with 20 counts of human trafficking, one depend of first-degree sexual assault, one depend of second-degree sexual assault, felony enterprise and mendacity to a police officer.
“My workplace has been notified that the physique of John Geddert was discovered late this afternoon after taking his personal life. It is a tragic finish to a tragic story for everybody concerned,” Michigan legal professional common Dana Nessel stated in a press release.
Geddert’s legal professional’s workplace confirmed to Reuters that he was deceased however declined additional remark when requested in regards to the circumstances surrounding his loss of life.
Geddert was coach of the ladies’s workforce referred to as the ‘Fierce 5’ that won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London and the previous proprietor of the Lansing-area Twistars USA Gymnastics Membership for elite athletes the place Nassar handled gymnasts.
The 2 sexual assault prices stem from an incident in 2012, courtroom paperwork confirmed.
“These allegations focus round a number of acts of verbal, bodily and sexual abuse perpetrated by the defendant in opposition to a number of younger ladies,” Nessel stated in an earlier assertion.
“I’m grateful for these survivors coming ahead to cooperate with our investigation and for bravely sharing their tales.”
Based on the legal professional common’s workplace, Geddert used his repute as an Olympic-level coach and promised mother and father that he may flip his college students into world-class athletes.
The legal professional common’s workplace stated that below the guise of teaching, Geddert reportedly subjected a number of younger ladies to an surroundings of continued abuse, by which he additionally uncared for recommendation of medical docs besides that offered by Nassar, who served for round 20 years as Geddert’s workforce doctor.
Geddert was suspended by USA Gymnastics in January 2018.
Former USA Gymnastics physician Nassar has been given two prison sentences in Michigan of 40 to 125 years and 40 to 175 years for molesting younger feminine gymnasts. He’s additionally serving a 60-year federal time period for baby pornography convictions.
