Larry Nassar's victims speak out about 'twisted' sexual abuse during sentencing hearing: 'I get flashbacks when I see male hands'

Jan. 16--An emotional and searing testimony, victims of disgraced Olympics gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar took the stand Tuesday to detail the sexual abuse they suffered at his hands when they were children.

One victim, staring down at Nassar -- who sat with his head bowed through much of the testimony -- told him that girls "eventually grow into strong women that return to destroy your world."

Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty in November to molesting girls under the guise of giving them medical treatment at his Michigan State University office, his home and a Lansing-area gymnastics club, often while their parents were in the room.

He also worked for Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics, which trains Olympians.

Hundreds of his victims are expected to testify over his four-day sentencing hearing -- with 29 sharing their stories on the first day.

"I testified to let the world know that you are a repulsive liar and those 'treatments' were pathetically veiled sexual abuse," said victim Kyle Stephens, who spoke first.

She told the court that Nassar, a friend of her parents, started his abuse when she was 6 and continued until she was 12.

He exposed himself to her in a "dark boiler room," rubbed his naked penis on her bare skin and put his finger in her vagina, she said.

When she reported the abuse to her parents, Nassar denied it and they didn't initially believe her.

But, as Stephens told Nassar on Tuesday, "Little girls don't stay little forever. They grow into strong women that return to destroy your world."

Jade Capua described Nassar as "a monster that left me with more pain and scars than I came to his office with."

Jessica Thomashow, 17, said Nassar sexually assaulted her when she was 9 and 12.

"He touched the most innocent places on my body," said Thomashow. "I couldn't be just a normal girl anymore, and I forever lost a big piece of my childhood due to his abuse."

Nassar's victims include members of the 2012 and 2016 gold-medal winning American Olympic teams.

Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney have all come forward to say that Nassar abused them.

Simone Biles, who won four gold medals in women's gymnastics in 2016, said on Monday that she was also abused.

"For far too long I've asked myself 'Was I too naive? Was it my fault?' I now know the answer to those questions. No. No. It was not my fault. No, I will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to Larry Nassar, USAG, and others," Biles said.

John Manly, an attorney representing more than 100 victims in civil lawsuits, argues that institutions including USA Gymnastics enabled Nassar's abuse.

USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University both employed Nassar for years and are accused of ignoring complaints about the physician.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, who is expected to sentence Nassar on Friday, consoled the speakers, telling them they shouldn't be angry at themselves because the system failed them.

Prosecutors are seeking at least 40 years in prison for Nassar.

With News Wire Services

___

(c)2018 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.