First Male Gymnast Accuses Larry Nassar of Sexual Abuse

BBC
March 2, 2018

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43261994

Jake Moore is a first-year gymnast at the University of Michigan

An 18-year-old university athlete has become the first male gymnast to say in a lawsuit that he was abused by convicted pedophile Larry Nassar.

Jacob Moore alleged as part of a joint civil lawsuit that Nassar touched his genitals under the guise of treating his shoulder injury with acupuncture.

The court filing came on the same day an Olympic gold medalist sued the US Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics.

Aly Raisman said her abuse "could have been prevented" by team officials.

Her lawsuit, filed in California, claims that both organisations "put their quest for money and medals above" her safety.

More than 260 women and girls have now accused the disgraced ex-doctor of sexual abuse.

"Both USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee have been very quick to capitalise and celebrate my success," she testified during a January sentencing hearing for Nassar.

"But did they reach out to me when I came forward? No," said Ms Raisman, who won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

During those victim-impact statements, which lasted for more than a week, Mr Moore's sister described the abuse that both she and her brother suffered.

"My whole family was fooled by you," said his sister, Kamerin, who is a former US National Team gymnast.

"You put acupuncture needles right next to his genitals," she told him.

Mr Moores' lawsuit alleges that Nassar brought him to his basement and treated his shoulder injury with "acupuncture in his pubic area and in and around his genitalia".

It also states that Nassar "pulled down Moore's pants, exposing his genitalia" to an underage female gymnast who was also present.

US Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun announced on Wednesday that he was stepping down due to a cancer diagnosis.

Nassar is currently incarcerated in a federal prison in Arizona after being sentenced to hundreds of years in jail for his child pornography and sexual abuse crimes.