Larry Nassar sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison in sexual assault cases

Former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday in Ingham County Circuit Court in Michigan.

"Sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again," Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said. "I just signed your death warrant."

Nassar received his sentence after listening to 156 victim-impact statements over seven days, including powerful statements from Olympic medalists Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber, among others.

Nassar, who was also previously employed by Michigan State University, pleaded guilty to 10 charges of sexual assault in November split between two counties, including seven in Ingham County. His sentencing in Eaton County, where he faces the other three charges, is scheduled to begin Jan. 31.

Nassar's plea agreement had set the low end of his sentence at 25-40 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison. The agreement also provided that women and girls abused by Nassar be given the chance to deliver victim-impact statements, if they wished to do so.

MORE: Women tell Nassar they are 'taking back' their lives

MORE: Raisman to Nassar: 'We have our voices and we are not going anywhere'

More than 150 seized that opportunity, speaking directly to Nassar in Aquilina’s courtroom. Roughly two dozen other victim-impact statements were submitted directly to the court, Michigan assistant attorney general Angela Povilaitis said.

"We have seen the worst of humanity and the best in the last few days," Povilaitis said. "We have seen how one voice can start a movement."

Nassar was given an opportunity to speak before hearing his sentence Wednesday and read a short prepared statement.

"Your words these past several days have had a significant emotional effect on myself, and have shaken me to my core," Nassar said. "I also recognize that what I am feeling pales in comparison to the pain, trauma and emotional destruction that all of you are feeling.

"There are no words that can describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred. An acceptable apology to all of you is impossible to write or convey. I will carry your words with me for the rest of my days."

Aquilina then proceeded to read a letter from Nassar in which he wrote, in part, that the media convinced women and girls that they were abused. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he wrote, according to Aquilina.

"You have not yet owned what you did," Aquilina told him.

She later added: "Justice requires more than what I can do on this bench."

The 54-year-old Nassar was also sentenced last month to serve 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges, which, with Wednesday's sentence, ensures that he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The Lansing State Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, contributed to this report.