Breaking: Ex-USA Gymnastics coach kills himself after being hit with 24 charges including sexual assault
Breck Dumas
John Geddert, a former women’s head coach for USA Gymnastics, has died by suicide.
His death was reported hours after the state of Michigan filed 24 criminal charges — including sexual assault and human trafficking —against Geddert, who had ties to disgraced team doctor Larry Nassar.
What are the details?
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) held a press conference Thursday announcing the charges against Geddert, which “break down into 14 counts of human trafficking, six counts of human tracking of a minor and single counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation,” Law & Crime reported.
According to The Detroit News, Geddert previously owned Twistars USA, a gymnastics facility where multiple victims of Nassar claimed they were assaulted. After Nassar pleaded guilty in 2018 to sexually abusing 10 minors, a criminal investigation into Geddert was launched and the coach transferred ownership of the gym to his wife.
While Geddert was connected to Nassar and was accused of covering up the doctor’s crimes, the coach was also accused of committing assaults and other abuses himself.
The outlet noted:
Nessel emphasized the crimes alleged against Geddert were a result of his own behavior, which encompassed incidents between 2008 and 2018. The two sexual assault charges against Geddert are alleged to have occurred in January 2012 and involve a reported victim between the ages of 13 and 16.
Rachael Denhollander, the first victim to come forward and publicly accuse Nassar of sexual assault, tweeted prior to Geddert being found dead, “Geddert’s abuse, like so much, was never a secret. EVER. In my memoir I wrote about knowing of it even as a club level gymnast in 2000. Because we have to grapple with the reality that it was known, and no one stopped him. It was known, and he was promoted and given more power.”
A spokesperson from Nessel’s office confirmed that Geddert had been expected to turn himself in to the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, but never arrived. Less than an hour later, it was reported that Geddert had killed himself.
Nessel released a statement in response to Geddert’s death, saying, “My office has been notified that the body of John Geddert was found late this afternoon after taking his own life. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for everyone involved.”
.@MIAttyGen @dananessel Issues Statement in Response to News of John Geddert’s Deathhttps://t.co/hVNau3mHyV https://t.co/plTBFe3zoF
— Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel)1614288405.0
https://ussanews.com/News1/2021/02/25/breaking-ex-usa-gymnastics-coach-kills-himself-after-being-hit-with-24-charges-including-sexual-assault/