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6 year oldNOTORIOUS convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar has reportedly been moved from his Arizona prison after suffering a series of assaults behind bars.
The former American Gymnastics team doctor and Michigan State University doctor was earlier this year sentenced to a combined minimum 100 years behind bars in a sentence that could be extended to 185 years over child pornography and sexual assault offences.
More than 330 women have come forward to accuse Nassar of abuse during his time at the University and as head doctor of the American Olympic Gymnastics team, including members of the Fab Five that won gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, featuring Aly Raisman, Simone Biles and McKayla Maroney.
The Detroit News first reported on Monday morning (AEST) that Nassar was moved from his high-security United State Penitentiary in Tucson after he was assaulted almost immediately after being released into the prison’s general population.
Nassar’s lawyers last month revealed the 54-year-old was assaulted in May.
They claimed it was not a surprise that Nassar was attacked by fellow inmates after Ingham County Circuit Judge Rosemarie Aquilina in January labelled him a “monster” in a trial that made national headlines.
During the seven-day sentencing in January at which at least 169 women and girls provided statements, Aquilina said Nassar is “going to wither” like the wicked witch in “The Wizard of Oz.”
She said she would allow someone “to do to him what he did to others” if the constitution allowed, and she told Nassar she was signing his “death warrant” with the sentence she was giving him.
“Unfortunately, Judge Aquilina’s comments and conducting of the sentencing proceeding appeared to encourage this type of behaviour,” Nassar’s lawyers wrote in a statement following his reported assault.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons website shows Nassar has been moved to the Oklahoma Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City.
According to Ralph Miller, a retired Bureau of Prisons employee who specialised in sex offender designations, said Nassar is likely to have been moved to the Special Housing Unit after the assault where he would have been under lockdown for 23 hours a day and would have been allowed out of his cell for recreation just one hour per day.
Miller told The Detroit News Nassar’s high profile means he will likely remain in the Special Housing Unit when he is moved to a new facility.
He predicted Nassar will be moved to penitentiaries in Indiana or Florida.
Nassar is currently appealing his sentencing for multiple counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct.
Nassar’s 60-year sentence for child pornography charges concludes February 23, 2069 — when his 40-125 year sentence for first degree criminal sexual conduct must then be served.
Michigan State University earlier this year reached a $US500 million ($667 million) settlement with the hundreds of women and girls who say they were sexually abused by Nassar.
The settlement was announced by the university, where the ex-USA Gymnastics doctor was on staff, and the lawyer representing his more than 300 victims.
The deal includes $425 million that the school will pay to the 332 current claimants and $75 million that will be set aside in a trust fund to protect against any future claims of sexual abuse by Nassar.
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