First male victim files case against Nassar

WASHINGTON • A University of Michigan gymnast has become the first male victim to file a lawsuit claiming sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, according to multiple reports on Thursday.

Jacob Moore, 18, a freshman at the school and a former member of the US men's junior national team, alleged that when he was a 16-year-old seeking treatment for a shoulder injury, Nassar performed acupuncture on his genitalia and exposed them to a girl who was also a minor.

As first reported by International Gymnast, Moore, a Michigan native, claimed that the abuse occurred in the basement of Nassar's home in April 2016.

That was after the disgraced former physician had parted ways with USA Gymnastics following a nearly 30-year association, but before he was fired by Michigan State University, where he spent two decades.

Moore's court filing stated that he "believes the conduct of Dr Nassar was sexual assault, battery, abuse, molestation and harassment performed by Defendant Nassar for Defendant Nassar's sexual pleasure and gratification".

Moore joined his sister Kamerin MacKay Moore as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit originally filed by Rachael Denhollander, a former gymnast who in 2016 was the first person to publicly accuse Nassar of abuse.

Denhollander's accusations against Nassar opened the floodgates for dozens, then hundreds more girls and women to tell their own stories.

In two sentencing hearings held earlier this year in Michigan courts, scores of victims, as well as some parents, took turns facing Nassar - who had already received 60 years in federal prison for child pornography and would get up to 175 more years in state prison - and testifying to the pain caused by his abuses.

Moore said that he had gone to Nassar's basement for treatment, and was accompanied by his mother to the then-doctor's home on the date in question, although she presumably remained upstairs.

"When the minor female gymnast came into the basement," the filing stated, "Dr Nassar then pulled down Plaintiff Jacob Moore's pants, exposing his genitalia, explaining to Jacob Moore that he was doing this to treat his shoulder pain through acupuncture in his pubic area and in and around his genitalia.

"...There is no known medical connection between shoulder pain which can be treated through acupuncture in the area of a male's genitalia."

WASHINGTON POST

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on March 03, 2018, with the headline First male victim files case against Nassar. Subscribe