A former coach of the American Olympic gymnastics team committed suicide hours after he was accused of "human trafficking."

The former coach of the US women's Olympic gymnastics team, John Gedert, committed suicide hours after prosecutors charged him with human trafficking and sexual assault, Michigan State Prosecutor Dana Nessel announced.

"My office was informed of the discovery of John Gedert's body late this afternoon, after he committed suicide. This is a tragic end to a tragic story for all concerned," Nessel said in a statement.

The Michigan public prosecutor had charged Giddert, the coach of the gymnastics team at the 2012 London Olympics, with human trafficking and criminal sexual behavior.

Gedert, who owned a training campus where former US Olympic gymnastics team physician Larry Nassar, who has been accused of sexually assaulting hundreds of girls and women over 20 years, was charged in a 24-count complaint revealed by Michigan prosecutor Nessel.

"These allegations focus on multiple acts of verbal, physical and sexual abuse committed by the accused against many young women," the public prosecutor said during a press conference she held before the news of the coach's suicide, which was broadcast live on social media.

She added that Gedert (63 years), coach of the gymnastics team at the 2012 London Olympics, surrendered and would be tried later Thursday, but the latter committed suicide, leaving more than a question mark about a scandal that has occupied public opinion for a long time.

Gedert was facing two counts of first-degree sexual assault, both of which involved an unnamed athlete, aged between 13 and 16, who was likely to be sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was also to face 20 counts of trafficking in human beings to minors.

The Public Prosecution Office stated that Gideret's treatment of the young gymnasts constitutes human trafficking, "as reports indicated that he subjected his athletes to forced labor or services under harsh conditions that contributed to their injury and harm."

"Then Gedrett neglected the injuries reported by the victims and used coercion, intimidation, threats and physical force to force them to rise to the level he wanted."

Ghedert was under investigation because of his close personal and professional relationships with Nassar, who was sentenced to life in prison for sexual assault of several young gymnasts under the pretext of medical treatment.

The American Gymnastics Federation sacked Geidert in 2018, which in turn immediately announced his retirement and said he had "no knowledge" of Nassar's crimes.

However, after three weeks of sentencing hearings in which around 200 women, girls, and family members of victims confronted Nassar by reading victim-impact data, the gymnasts at Twistars said they were physically and verbally abused by Gedert.

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