A former Olympic gymnastics coach committed suicide Thursday after being hit with a series of charges for sexually assaulting and physically abusing young athletes in Michigan, according to authorities.
John Geddert, who worked for years alongside famed gymnastics predator Larry Nassar, was found Thursday afternoon with a self-inflicted gun wound, local station WLNS reported, citing state officials.
Earlier that day, the state attorney general filed 24 charges against Geddert that could have put him behind bars for life.
Geddert’s death was confirmed by the Michigan Attorney General, who described his suicide as the “tragic end” of the terrible story.
“My office has received notification that John Geddert’s body was found in the late afternoon after his life was suppressed. It is a tragic end to a tragic story for all involved, “Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the statement.
Nessel alleged that Geddert used his credentials as a U.S. Olympic coach to convince parents to train their children at his gym in Dimondale, Michigan, where Nassar practiced as an intern.
But the AG said its treatment was “human trafficking,” as athletes were forced to work in “extreme conditions” that resulted in injuries.
In 2012 he was also hit by two counts of sexual assault against a teenage girl in 2012, one for continued felony and one rap for lying to investigators investigating Nassar’s own sexual abuse of gymnasts.