USA Gymnastics: Larry Nassar faces trial for sex abuse claims

A judge has ordered a former USA Gymnastics doctor to
 be tried on sex assault charges, as an accuser said he
 abused her during hide-and-seek.

A 25-year-old woman testified that Larry Nassar molested
 her from the age of six until 12 during family visits to his Michigan home.

Mr Nassar, 53, is accused by more than 60 former patients and athletes of sexual abuse during pelvic procedures.

He is facing separate federal charges for possession of
 child pornography.

After testimony at a court in Mason, Michigan, Judge
 Donald Allen ordered Mr Nassar to stand trial on three
 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a 
person under 13  years old.

The accused, a sports doctor who treated US Olympic gymnasts, faces up to life in prison if convicted.

He was stripped of his medical licence last month, amid
 at least six criminal and civil lawsuits.

The unnamed woman, who was neither a patient nor an athlete, testified against him for more than two hours on Friday.

She detailed how Mr Nassar allegedly molested her during family visits to his home in Holt, Michigan, from 1998 to
 2005.

"Almost every time I was there for a couple of years, something occurred," she told the court.

Some of the abuse happened under a blanket as he sat 
next to her on the sofa, while her unwitting older brother
 sat nearby, she said.

When she tried to tell her parents about the molestation, 
they did not believe her.

"They made me feel like I had done something terrible," 
she said, adding that they told her to apologise to the
 doctor. She refused.

When the woman left home for university, she again told 
her parents about her experience with Mr Nassar.

Her father, who committed suicide in March 2016,
 "crumpled" when she repeated her claims.

Mr Nassar was fired in September after working for decades as a doctor for gymnasts at Michigan State University, as well
 as USA Gymnastics - the sport's governing body.

Allegations of sexual assault were first revealed by the
Indianapolis Star newspaper in September 2016 when he 
was accused by two former gymnasts.

Since then, more than 60 women have accused him, 
and at least 40 have filed lawsuits.

Several of those suits name USA Gymnastics as a co-defendent, claiming they had not done enough to prevent
 the abuse.

MSU gymnasts coach Kathie Klages quit abruptly this
 week after being named in several legal actions.

She had worked as a coach for nearly 30 years, before she was suspended by the university, leading to her surprise departure.