what kind of a person has the audacity to sexually assault a child? i remember laying there frozen stiff. >> the kind of grief and pain and rage. >> as "20/20" comes on the air tonight, the new fallout. the former gymnastics doctor just sentenced, behind bars for life. >> today, my monster is gone. >> the tidal wave of survivors, including these olympic all-stars who say they were horrifically abused by the god daughter of gymnastics. >> i had to hear what they did to them, knowing that they did the same thing to me, breaks my heart. >> our cross country investigation. >> tonight, the entire board of

usa gymnastics announcing they will resign. >> the very latest from lansingg >> had somebody listened to you, these women wouldn't have been abused. >> how did this go unchecked? >> when girls came forward and told an adult, the adults didn't listen. >> was there a code of silence just to keep the medals coming? >> all these people knew what he was doing? >> yes. >> tonight, we're taking you inside the closed off elite world of women's gymnastics. >> the parents are not allowed in the gym. that was the rule. >> the warning signs to protect your daughters from abuse, and those brave women who broke their silence. >> well, larry, i'm here. not to tell someone, but to tell everyone. >> this is "20/20." >> when i was little, i always wanted to be in the olympics. >> i wanted to be a collegiate

athlete. >> to become a sports medicine doctor. >> my dreams were definitely derailed after seeing him. >> i feel like part of me has been robbed. >> reporter: this week in lansing michigan, 19 young pill, boarding a bus for the 20-mile journey from a courthouse to a community college. where our "20/20" crew and cameras awaited them. >> jennifer, and morgan. >> reporter: but that's nothing compared to the journey they have been on for years, coming to terms with the abuse they say they endured. >> hello, ladies. >> reporter: they have come here to tell you their story. a story they say they couldn't tell for so long. >> i have to say as i sit here and look at the dpraup group of you, it's unbelievable to me

that every single one of you was a victim to larry nassar and you're just a drop in the bucket. >> yes. >> for so many years you might have thought you were the only one. look next to you. you weren't. >> it's overwhelming. it's -- it didn't have to be this way. >> it is both incredibly comforting but also incredibly horrifying how many there are. >> reporter: their tormentor? larry nassar. >> hopefully this will be an educational experience. >> reporter: the once revered former team doctor for american gymnastics. a man from whom they sought care and comfort, and instead, suffered the cruelest form of betrayal and degradation. his fate sealed earlier this week as judge rosemarie aquilina made certain he would never see freedom again. >> i'm giving you 175 years which is 2,100 months, i just signed your death warrant.

>> so how does it feel knowing that man will never ever step outside prison again while he's alive? >> i am grateful but it feels very incomplete. >> i don't think it really represents the pain, and all of the emotions that all of us have gone through, and all the other women out there. >> everyone tell me how old you were you when larry nassar first abused you? >> 12. >> 8. >> 14. >> 20. >> so, i heard a 20 that's the oldest. i heard a 7? 7? >> yup, at one point my coach was even in the room with me. >> your coach was even in the room with you? >> yeah. >> how many of you suffered from anxiety as a result of what happened to you? panic attacks, depression? what a legacy for pursuing what was your dream.

>> now we have a new dream. >> what's the new dream? >> change the world. >> reporter: the courageous women we met were among the 156 who took turns giving those searing victim impact statements at sentencing. i have experienced flashbacks. >> one after the other. the anguish. the anger. >> how much i [ bleep ] hate you. >> reporter: lasting more than seven extraordinary days. >> and now you're the world's number one child molester and p pedonfile. >> reporter: some with very familiar faces and names like olympic gold medalist aly raisman. >> reporter: raisman "the worst epidemic of sexual abuse in the history of sports." and others she called an "army of survivors," bravely shedding their anonymity in unprecedented numbers. their parents wiping away tears, still haunted and bewildered by the assaults that went unnoticed, sometimes with them in the room.

>> she said, "mom, he put his fingers in me and they weren't gloved." and i said, "chelsea, i was right there in the room," and she said, "you couldn't see what was going on mom." and she said, "he hurt me!" >> i willingly took my most precious gift in this world to you, and you hurt her. and she was only 8. i cannot help but think, how did i miss the red flags? >> reporter: for every "sister survivor" who testified in court, there is a story of a little girl with a dream, and a love of a sport. like akemi look. she was immediately dazzled by rhythmic gymnastics watching the 1996 olympics. >> i was 10 years old and i was riveted. i was on the edge of my seat as a little girl because, you know,

you see these beautiful streamers flying up in the air, and it's such a graceful sport, and they throw their equipment up 30 something feet and into the air and -- and then catch it. and it's like magic. and i said to my mom, "i want to do this." >> reporter: mattie larson's love for gymnastics began when she was just two years old. >> i could almost do what the six-year-olds could do, at two. it was like i had found my calling at two years old. >> you were one of these kids with the magic pixie dust. >> yeah. it came so easy to me, and that's what i loved about it. >> reporter: lindsey lemke was six when the gymnastics bug bit her. >> the higher level i got the more accolades i had the more confidence i had in myself and you know that was kind of something i wanted to pursue. >> reporter: all three girls rapidly ascended the ranks. becoming elite gymnasts. >> how quickly did coaches around you know you were something special? >> it was pretty quick. my parents told me all the coaches that we tried. she has it she could go all the way.

>> they were saying this before you were 7 years old? >> yeah! >> was there a particular event that was your specialty? >> floor my favorite. i think it kind of showed because i lit up when i did floor. >> reporter: with the dreams, came grueling commitment. >> i gave up everything i was always in the gym practicing. i wanted to make the olympics. >> it's a life that is very different from the normal high school girls life. there's so much competition and so much loneliness and so much isolation you're training most of the day. it's incredibly cutthroat. >> reporter: and hand in hand with the non stop training, there were frequent injuries. >> i was at practice and i did a 2 1/2 twist, and i landed on my ankle and it rolled out, and then i heard a crack. i had broken my foot. >> i had shin splints. i had knee pain. >> i was doing splits and i couldn't lift my leg off the ground. it was the sharpest pain. i just cried and cried and cried. >> reporter: and with those

injuries came treatment. >> and the coach said, you need to go see the team doctor. >> yeah. >> he'll make you better. >> yeah. >> reporter: little did they know, they say there was no cure in sight. >> you have the olympic doctor? >> yes. it was like, "wow, i'm lucky." you know i just hurt my foot and he's already fitting me in his schedule. >> i remember being told that he was the national team doctor and that i was in good hands and he knows what he's doing. >> reporter: stay with us.

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person. >> very competent very caring very warm and engaging. >> he was charismatic. >> i was enapmored by him. everyone was. >> olympian kerri strug vaulted into history and our hearts with her bravery at the 1996 atlanta olympics. >> kerri strug is hurt, she is hurt badly. >> reporter: brought to her knees by injury, but winning a gold medal for her team. there was another rising star sharing that iconic moment the man on the right, helping support her, team doctor larry nasser. >> he was seen as a man who was the best at what he did, so good that usa gymnastics wanted him at the olympics. they wanted him to be the one person on earth who would be treating their top athletes. >> this was a guy who taught religious school at a local church. he volunteered as the team doctor for the high school

there. >> reporter: nassar rubbed shoulders with gymnastics royalty, bela and marta karolyi. >> with us gymnastics its basically all about the karolyis. and to have the karolyis' trust, that means everything in gymnastics. >> reporter: the karolyis' texas training camp was well known in gymnastics circles for its grueling boot-camp atmosphere. when dr nassar worked at the camp, the girls say he was a rare friendly face plying them with candy and kindness. >> he was nice i mean, he was kind, he was caring. >> lindsey lemke met larry nassar at twist stars gym. her parents became close family friends with the doctor and his wife. he began treating her for back pain when she was in middle school. >> welcome to gymnasticsdoctor.com. >> reporter: dr. nassar liked to show off his techniques, posting videos he called tender teaching moments on his website. there are legitimate treatments that require doctors to touch intimate areas.

and dr. nassar took advantage of that going beyond medical necessity for his own perverse pleasure. lindsey says when she was 12, nassar's procedures when his fingers suddenly became invasive. >> and then he went inside of me, and i was like this isn't the same thing. >> was he talking to you? >> yes normal conversation. >> as a young person, much less a child, the thought that a doctor could be using you for his own sexual gratification is something that doesn't even enter your mind. >> i mean, i went over to his house for around four days a week for years. >> you went to his house to get these treatments? >> to his basement. >> did you think this was weird? >> no. he was our friend. >> anything odd about the treatments? >> his eyes were always closed. >> never did you think this was anything other than a medical

procedure? >> correct. you trusted larry. >> did it help your injury? >> no. it never got better until stopped seeing larry. >> nassar's victims say they were uniquely vulnerable. they were in pain from injuries. they were told dr. nasser was the only one who could heal them. as top athletes, they were used to taking orders they were programmed for obedience. >> they wanted robots and it was survival of the fittest and if you didn't survive then see you later, you're not on the team. >> reporter: akemi look was a rhythmic gymnast. she says she was seen by dr nassar several times with no issues until one appointment when she was 15. >> and then he says to me, i'm just going to make an adjustment, it might be a little uncomfortable. the next thing i know, i feel his fingers pressing up inside my vagina. i remember my face getting really hot, and being so confused about why he was touching me there. i buried my head in the table and just prayed for it to be over.

>> she told no one. >> i felt so violated and so embarrassed that someone had touched me there. i had to justify it to myself by saying that he was trying to heal me. >> reporter: it wasn't just the girls who were fooled by nassar's "treatments." the sports medicine community viewed him as an authority in the field. nassar even contributed a chapter to this medical textbook. complete with a cringe-worthy photo of what the author says are nassar's hands on a girl's bottom. in the text, nassar encourages other doctors to touch what he calls the no-fly zone the area around the genitals. >> i didn't say anything to anybody. >> reporter: mattie larson says the first time she can distin distinctly remember nassar abusing her was at what should have been one of the highlights of her life as an athlete her first us national championship. he was supposed to be treating her for a painful hip injury.

>> so what did he do to you that day? >> i was asking him questions about the pain in my hip, then he put his fingers in my vagina and was asking me, oh did that feel better? >> reporter: larson says no matter where the injury, the supposed treatment was often similar. >> even though i didn't know i was being molested, i was uncomfortable but i didn't think it was wrong, cause, i didn't like a lot of things about gymnastics. you just push -- you just do what you are told and you don't say anything. a part of me is still trying to forgive myself for being so naïve. >> you don't -- there's nothing to forgive. >> i know, but. i just want to. wish i could be me and go back in time and talk to me at that age. >> what would you say? >> i would just hug me. i would just hug me and say, "it's going to be okay and talk to someone."

>> tell someone. well, you're telling people now. >> reporter: she's telling and so was the brave woman who first broke the silence about dr. nassar's terrible treatments, and other women finally realized they are not alone. >> show of hands, do you all agree with her that it numbers in the thousands? >> reporter: stay with us. or does it tell you that i'm strong? that i'll run this company some day. my face can be bold, when you expect me to be weak. it can be subtle or innocent. with highlighter, lipstick and mascara, i express who i am right now and who i want to be. covergirl. i am what i make up. ♪ ♪ you are a city city wall, city wall ♪

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i didn't really feel like i could talk to many people for a long time. >> we're conditioned not to speak up. if something hurts, don't speak up. if someone is screaming at you, don't speak up. >> he was the olympic doctor, so he must be doing this, you know, to other girls and nobody has said anything, so something must be wrong with me thinking that it was wrong. >> when i first found out when the article came out, i was honestly in denial. >> my parents told me he had been arrested. i immediately knew, and my entire world came crashing down. ♪ >> this crew will make a name for themselves tonight. >> reporter: it's the summer of 2016, and america is celebrating

the success of the "final five," the gold medal winning usa's women's gymnastics team, which dominated the rio olympic games. led by simone biles. and veterans gabby douglas and aly raisman. >> that's what a national champion looks like. >> we are the final five! ♪ >> reporter: but 5,000 miles away in a dusty newsroom, three reporters for "the indianapolis star" publish an investigative report on the ugly side of this beautiful sport. >> usa gymnastics wasn't always reporting allegations of sexual abuse that it was receiving. from the day after that story was published, rachael denhollander reached out to us and told us about dr. nassar, and that's the first we knew of him. >> it was just after my 15th birthday. i saw him for approximately a year and he abused me between 10 and 13 times during that timeframe.

he penetrated me vaginally and anally. >> reporter: that was back in 2000 when rachael denhollaner was a club-level gymnast. why did you decide -- did you think maybe now people will believe me? that this door has been cracked open by this fantastic journalism in "the indianapolis star"? >> i was very aware of the abuse. i was confident that there were thousands, thousands of victims out there. and i also -- >> of larry? >> absolutely. absolutely. >> thousands. show of hands as you all agree with her that it numbers in the thousands. >> absolutely. >> astonishing. >> reporter: dr. nassar is prominent and a revered doctor in gymnastics, so reporter tim evans pays him a visit. >> when i first got there, he was basically pleading that we not write a story, that this was a misunderstanding. he wanted to show me some videos to prove what he was doing or defend what he was doing. in those situations, when he was kind of controlling the narrative, he was much more confident, arrogant. >> reporter: throughout the interview evans says larry nassar maintained his innocence.

denying ever doing anything untoward to any patient. and when "the indy star's" bombshell report comes out detailing the accusations by rachael and another former gymnast -- >> the flood gates opened. within hours, we had women calling the tip line that was set up by the end of the day we had 12 other survivors who had come forward and it's grown from there. we have over 160 now. >> my immediate reaction was i can believe that because it happened to me. >> i called the polic department immediately, and i said, i need to file a report. >> reporter: as michigan authorities began to investigate, michigan state university feels the pressure and fires larry nassar. then two months later. >> criminal charges against dr. larry nasser for his predatory, menacing, criminal acts involving a minor. >> first it started out with three charges of criminal sexual conduct.

then it became around 10. as this investigation kept going month after month, it then became 20. you just saw the number grow and grow and grow. >> reporter: dr. larry nassar appearing in court via video conference looking like a shell of his former self. >> do you understand the charges are against you, sir? >> dr. nassar's wife supports him 100%. in fact there are hundreds of people who support him 100%. >> reporter: larry nassar was brought into the bingham county jail this afternoon. >> reporter: watching on the news, akemi look, learning her former doctor was arrested. >> my heart dropped into my stomach and my boyfriend was next to me and i just broke. i just completely broke down because i knew that the thing that i never wanted to be true was true. the thing that i pushed away the thing that haunted me every step of my adult life. >> tell me about the moment larry was arrested. how that felt for you knowing especially because that was as a

result of the action that you took. >> i was incredibly grateful when that step was taken. it really wasn't a time i felt like to rejoice yet. >> reporter: as the number of accusers begin to mount larry nassar's friendly façade, crumbles, when police make a starling discovery in his trash can. four computer hard drives. >> on those hard drives are 27,000 videos, pictures of children, girls, engaging in different acts. some as young as 6 and 7 years old. >> reporter: among the thousands of files on the drives, disturbing home videos of dr. nassar. >> he had a pool party with a couple of young girls, and at that pool party, he was seen digitally penetrating some of these young girls. >> reporter: facing overwhelming evidence, his lawyers strike a deal and nassar pleeds guilty to possession of child pornography and later to 10 counts of

criminal sexual conduct. his medical license revoked as well. but most of america would learn about his despicable behavior with this social media post by mckayla maroney. >> she said she, too, was one of the victims of dr. larry nassar and what made this incredible was so many of us remembered mckayla maroney from the olympics, the woman with that classic smirk that even president obama copied. >> reporter: and the woman with that athletic prowess helped vault team usa to gold in 2012. but shockingly behind the scenes. >> she mentioned that dr. larry nasser abused her during one of these treatments while she was right there at the olympics in london. >> reporter: look at these pictures of dr. nassar massaging her leg. soon, some of her teammates apart of the fierce five said, me too. gabby douglas, aly raisman.

>> i'm so angry that after realizing we were abused, they let him continue to molest other gymnasts. >> reporter: like simone biles, the young girl who dazzled the world in rio tweeted, i too am one of the many girls who were sexually abused by larry nassar. next -- how did he get away with this? >> if somebody had called the police, he would not have been able to molest for another year. >> reporter: stay with us. cut, cut, cut! sorry, cut. sorry, cut. sorry. had a thought. what if, instead of saying "advance", i say "refund advance!"? it's going to be... it's going to be amazing. watch. okay. sorry, guys, sorry. one more time. refuuuuund, advance! you could get an interest free refund advance of up to $3000 the day you file at block. h&r block. get your taxes won.

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imagine what we can do for you. i was told it was medical treatment, who who was i to question that? i was a 17-year-old girl. >> he reassured me it was fine and what he was doing was okay, and he told my mom the same exact thing too. >> i was very cognizant of the reality that one anonymous voice would never be enough because larry was backed by two very powerful institutions.

>> and maybe me coming forward and speaking was going to ruin a good doctor's reputation. these are the rationalizations that you have going through your mind. ♪ >> reporter: michigan state university is a renowned sports mecca. it's spartans' winning national championships with its acclaimed football and basketball programs. but the east lansing based school also has a reputation as a premiere des neigh for elite gymnasts from around the country. >> it is known as being a powerhouse place with treatment and care of gymnasts. >> reporter: so how was it possible that dr. larry nassar, the so-called god doctor for usa gymnastics could get away with what he did for so many years? in 1997, 16-year-old larissa boyce was training with the program under msu'smsu'smsu'smss

gymnastics coach, kathy claygus. it was a dream come true. that was until dr. larry nassar got his hands on her. larissa says she reported the abuse to her coach. >> she picked up a piece of paper and said, you know, i can file this, but there is going to be very serious consequences for both you and dr. nassar. >> what is that supposed to mean? is that a threat? >> i perceived it as of i would be embarrassed and the shame of that type of accusation. and, you know, she didn't even tell my parents. the person she did tell was larry nassar. >> when you saw larry next, what happened? >> i remember he came in the office and closed the door, sat on his chair, and he reassured me that it was a medical

treatment, that it was to help me, and i said, i am so sorry. it was a big misunderstanding and it's all my fault. >> i apologized? >> i hopped back up on the table and he continued to abuse me. >> reporter: and it wasn't the only time a gymnast says she reported nassar to that same coach. remember lindsey lemke? her mom says she called the coach in a panic nearly to years after larissa boyce complained. >> i called kathy that night, and i told her. i said, you know, kathy, he did it to lindsey too, and i said, but, you know, we're really upset about this, and i think we need to speak to the authorities tomorrow. and she said, this is a legal medical procedure, christy. so she knew that this had been going on. >> wow. >> and that was it, you know? there was no support, you know, no nothing.

>> she came into practice one day and said, i have this card that we got for larry. you don't have to sign it if you don't want to, but i think it would be great of you guys if you could let him know we're thinking of him and praying for him. >> really? >> yes. >> why did kathy support larry so wholeheartedly? >> they had been friends since the '90s. >> kathy did not respond to our repeated requests for an interview, yobut our colleagues from espn's "outside the lines" caught up with her recently. >> hey. i'm john barr with espn. can i ask you a couple of questions? >> no, i'm sorry. >> a couple of women told us they spoke with you back in 1997 and they told you that larry nassar penetrated them -- >> i'm sorry. >> reporter: michigan state would eventually suspend her, and she announced her reairport to the next day saying, if she had doubts about nassar, she would have reacted immediately to protect her gymnasts. but larissa and lindsey and other gymnasts allege in

lawsuits that there were many others that failed to protect them from nassar and turned a blind eye to the abuse. >> there were institutions that allowed this to happen. the culture of abuse in gymnastics that allowed this to happen. >> what are all these coaches and what's the federation getting out of this? >> i think larry was willing to let these girls practice no matter what their injuries were, and that's what the coaches wanted. >> reporter: then, a possible turning point. in 2014, a young woman complained about dr. nassar, and michigan state launched a formal investigation. >> there was a problem. some of the witnesses were close to nassar, including one of his proteges, which is just unbelievable. >> reporter: nassar then returned to work at michigan state for another two years. espn reported that over those two years, nassar assaulted at least a dozen young women who have since gone to the police. but where was usa gymnastics in

all of this? at least one olympic level coach, john geder, is alleged in a lawsuit to have ignored a complaint from an athlete's family in 1998. he led the 2012 women's olympic team in london to gold, and also owns that michigan gymnastics club. >> if they wanted to be an elite gymnast or go to the olympics, that was the gym to go to. >> you should know what that doctor is doing to your athletes. >> reporter: he denies violating protection policies, though his coaches privileges were suspended this week by usa gymnastics which had already severed ties with dr. nassar, in 2015 over athletes' concerns, but it never told michigan state, so nassar continued to practice there for another year. >> if usa gymnastics had simply in 2015, picked up the phone and called the michigan state police, he would not been able

to molest for another year. >> reporter: usa gymnastics in a statement released this week said, usa gymnastics supports an independent investigation. >> it is absolutely the darkest stain in u.s. olympic history. they care more about medals than people. they cared more about the brand and making sure it was untarnished for their sponsors and for all the people cheering in the stands and watching on television. >> if somebody had listened to you, larissa, most of these women here would never have been abused by that man. >> contradict. >> that must make your blood boil. >> yes, absolutely. >> reporter: next, searing testimony from the survivor. >> little girls don't stay little girls forever. they return to destroyure world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? .... hold on! ugh, say it's like stabbing knives. e world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? e world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? e world.

>> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? ye worl. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? e worl. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? ye worl. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? oe world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? ue world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? re world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? world. >> reporter: and what was nassar have to say for himself? pelvic pain in between periods, or pain with sex, ask your gynecologist if it could be endometriosis. 1 in 10 women have it, yet many don't know it. learn more at speakendo.com. we mwith office 365, we canarted with 2all stay connected.re 400. and 3d in powerpoint shows clients exactly what our cards look like. seeing peoples' reactions makes it all worthwhile. the great emperor trekking a hundred miles inland to their breeding grounds. except for these two fellows. this time next year,

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i felt amazing making my statement. >> i never felt more confident. >> completely relieved and empowered. >> empowered. >> empowered.

>> mr. nassar, i am going to ask that you be seated in the witness stand for the convenience of the witnesses. >> reporter: there is no way out for larry nassar. sentenced to 60 years in a separate child pornography case, he's now back in court for sentencing after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct. but today, women from around the country begin to descend on this michigan courtroom for a chance to be heard. >> little girls don't stay little forever. they grow into strong women that return to destroy your world. >> reporter: one after another, they step up and speak up. >> i will educate my children about monsters like you and pray to god they will never experience pain like this. >> i feel like the life has bitterly been sucked out of me. >> reporter: in a letter, nassar

complains to the court that listening to the victim impact statements is too hard. tough luck, says the judge. >> spending four or five days listening to them is significantly minor, considering the hours of pleasure you had at their expense. and ruining their lives. >> she could have said, "let's look at the people who were victims in the charges that he pled guilty to. and let them speak and maybe let their family member speak." but instead, she said, anybody who was a victim of his conduct by him, you can speak. you can share your truth. >> take your time. when you are ready -- >> reporter: and the compassionate judge allows them to speak for as long as they want. >> you are a role model. you are a hero. >> she has been our therapist. when we have needed someone the most -- >> she is your therapist? >> yes. >> i don't know if we would have asked for a better judge. >> amazing. >> do you know in the military, her nickname was bar kau da walk lena? >> just listening for her being

there, i know that she has 100% what's best for us. >> reporter: originally scheduled for four days, the trial continues for seven.seven. >> by the end, 156 women came forward. >> how dare you? how can you sexually assault a child in front of their mother? >> reporter: as the victims' statements are televised, many victims across the country are cat watching. among them is akemi look. >> i remember thinking, how are these women doing she is one of nassar's victims. but the 31-year old has chosen to close that chapter of her life. >> when i wrote my victim impact statement and submitted i said, "this is it." i don't ever want to revisit this again in my life. i don't want people to associate my name with being a child sexual abuse victim.

>> reporter: but the more she watches -- >> you've pissed off the wrong army of women. >> reporter: the more she realizes she just join the fight. she races to the airport battling traffic and her emotions. it is a 1,700-mile struggle that begins to go south at the gate with a panic attack. >> this police woman came over and said, are you okay? can i help you? and i told her that i don't think i can get on this flight right now. i really don't, but i know that i have to. >> reporter: and so she does, on the last flight out of town. as luck would have it, additional support services are provided by a jack russell terrier named maggie. >> an emotional support dog is sitting in the second row with a couple who was flying, and i said, can i sit down next to you? and they said, of course, you can. >> reporter: akemi's journey gets her to michigan just in

time for sentencing day. as for rachael denhollender, her journey has come full circle. she is the last victim to take nassar to task. and was the first to file a police report and speak out against him. they call her the general of this army. >> you have fashioned for yourself a prison that is far far worse than any i could ever put you in. and i pity you for that. >> reporter: he offers up a boilerplate apology that the women say moved no one. >> there are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry i am for what has occurred. >> reporter: but another side of him emerges when the judge reads more from nassar's first letter of complaint to the court. larry nassar feels he too is a victim. >> the media convinced them that everything i did was wrong and bad. they feel i broke their trust. hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

>> reporter: there's an audible gasp in the courtroom and a similar reaction when i talk to the women. hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. disgusting. >> it sounds like he still doesn't get it. >> i don't feel like he does. >> reporter: that set the stage for the judge's stinging response. >> i wouldn't send my dogs to you, sir. i can't even guess how many vulnerable children and families you actually assaulted. >> reporter: judge rosemarie aquilina, who claims not to be good with math, did an excellent job throwing around some pretty big numbers to make sure nassar never hurts anyone ever again. >> i'm giving you 175 years which is 2,100 months. i've just signed your death warrant. sir, you do not deserve to walk outside of prison ever again.

>> reporter: the judge's sentence was met with applause. [ applause ] and moments after the judge has her say, akemi has hers inspired by the women around her. >> they gave me courage. they gave me hope that there can be change. and we need change. this needs to end here. >> reporter: show of hands, how many of you think justice still needs to be done? i wanti did my ancestrydna and where i came from. and i couldn't wait to get my pie chart. the most shocking result was that i'm 26% native american.

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ah, it's so fresh. and it's going to last from wash to wear for up to 12 weeks. right, freshness for weeks! downy unstopables. for a fresh too feisty to quit. and now try downy unstopables with the original scent of tide >> announcer: "20/20" continues with "sister survivors." >> reporter: they've described themselves as "warriors," an "army," a "sisterhood." >> when are we all going to go on a vacation together? >> reporter: their bond formed through bravery, these women vow to meet every year on this date when justice was served. >> i have to say something extraordinary happened in that courtroom this week because of you. and the courage that you had to stand up and tell that man what he did to you.

the judge called you sisters. >> sister survivors. >> sister survivors. you are sister survivors. >> this is the beginning of our fight. >> it really is. >> and not just with what's happened to us, but fighting for other victims of abuse. >> it shouldn't take an army of women speaking in court for people to do something. it should take one person saying that this happened to them and them being believed and taken seriously. >> this is way bigger than larry nassar. i'm so glad that he is where he belongs to be and will be there for the rest of his life, but it's time to make change in usa gymnastics to protect the children, the future of our sport. >> reporter: and change has

already begun at msu, with the athletic director and president stepping down this week, which came as welcome news to some former michigan athletes. >> knowing that this woman will no longer be a part of that because she aided and enabled somebody to cause so much harm to so many young girls and women, i feel like i'll be able to be proud to say "go green" again. >> you will be believed, and you should speak. >> what i'd like to see moving forward is the united states congress, which created the u.s.o.c. in 1978, initiate a full investigation and find out what happened. i'd like to see serious criminal investigations of michigan state, of the u.s.o.c. and of u.s.a. gymnastics. and if there was criminal behavior, they should be prosecuted. >> reporter: and in texas, law enforcement is investigating the famed karolyi ranch training center, where so many women say nassar abused them.

what lies ahead for these young women is as varied as their stories. >> to have these brave, brave incredible women who came forward and who weren't silent. to be with these people who gave me so much courage. to shift my perspective from shame and guilt and powerlessness to how i am now i guess using my voice and being the light. ♪ . why is this man cele

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