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LANSING, Mich. -- Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday after seven days of impact statements from more than 150 girls and women who said he sexually abused them. The former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor, who hung his head and cried periodically during the sentencing hearing, told the courtroom he would carry his victims' words with him "for the rest of my days."

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said Nassar's "decision to assault was precise, calculated, manipulative, devious, despicable."

"It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. You do not deserve to walk outside a prison ever again," she said. "You have done nothing to control those urges, and anywhere you walk, destruction will occur to those most vulnerable."

Aquilina added: "I just signed your death warrant."

Nassar, 54, received a 60-year federal prison sentence in December for child pornography charges.

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Though Nassar apologized during his statement, Aquilina read sections of a letter he submitted to the court last week in which he maintains that what he did was medical and not sexual in nature. He wrote that media reports sensationalized the stories about his abuse and that he was forced to admit that they were sexual in nature in order to get a plea deal.

"I was a good doctor," he wrote.

Aquilina asked if he wanted to withdraw his plea, and Nassar said he did not. She asked: "You are guilty, aren't you?" He paused before saying that he stood by his plea.

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After reading the letter, Aquilina looked Nassar in the eye and asked him if was guilty, since he couldn’t admit it to himself even after entering his plea. Nassar lingered for a few seconds of complete silence before stammering, “I’ve said my plea.”

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“All current USA Gymnastics directors must resign,” U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Scott Blackmun said in an open letter on Wednesday.

The USOC decided not to decertify USA Gymnastics as a national governing body because such a move would hurt clubs and athletes who had no hand in the scandal, he said.

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USA Gymnastics did not respond directly to the calls for mass resignations. In a statement on Wednesday, it said the sport “may be better served by moving forward with meaningful change within our organization, rather than decertification.”

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Originally posted by well-tempered gardener:

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"It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. You do not deserve to walk outside a prison ever again," she said. "You have done nothing to control those urges, and anywhere you walk, destruction will occur to those most vulnerable."

Aquilina added: "I just signed your death warrant."

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Originally posted by jodi:
That bothered me too, pj. Curious what others think.

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Originally posted by Cindysphinx:
Puh.

Decertify if they won't resign.

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Here, the head of the organization has overstayed his term and has run it for 19 years.

These people are not leaving.

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Originally posted by jodi:
That bothered me too, pj. Curious what others think.