In this Sept, 12, 2015, file photo, a sign points to the Karolyi Ranch near New Waverly, Texas
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) Authorities in Texas announced more criminal charges Friday against disgraced former Olympic gymnastics physician Larry Nassar, and also charged a longtime USA Gymnastics trainer who was often in the room as Nassar treated young gymnasts in connection with a sexual assault alleged to have occurred at the Karolyi Ranch
Debbie Van Horn, former medical director for USA Gymnastics, was charged with one count of second-degree sexual assault of a child by the Walker County District Attorney's Office, which also announced six sexual assault charges against Nassar on Friday
While authorities did not release specific details of the facts that gave rise to these charges, it appears Van Horn is being charged for an assault Nassar allegedly committed while she was in the room
Van Horn, who left USA Gymnastics in January, shortly after Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for molesting nine girls in Michigan, was unable to be reached to comment Friday
During a news conference in Huntsville, Tex., Walker County District Attorney David P
Weeks also took the unusual step of publicly exonerating Bela and Martha Karolyi — the famed Olympic coaches who owned and operated the Texas training camp where many young gymnasts alleged Nassar assaulted them — of wrongdoing, while focusing blame on USA Gymnastics, headquartered in Indianapolis
"Nassar did not work for them," Weeks said. "The people that had control over him failed, simple as that
" John Manly, attorney for more than 150 alleged Nassar victims, called the investigation a "whitewash" and accused local law enforcement of purposely avoiding charging the Karolyis because of their stature in the community
"Our clients have known from the beginning that the Walker County Sheriff's Department, the Texas Rangers and the Walker Country district attorney were going to protect the Karolyis," Manly said
"It boggles the mind that we have Olympians that were abused hundreds of times there … and they can't find one criminal charge against anybody who ran the place
" The lawyer for the Karolyis welcomed Friday's news as supporting his clients' claims that, while they trained Team USA gymnasts for years at their camp, it was USA Gymnastics that employed Nassar, sent him there and ultimately was responsible for overseeing his treatment of America's top young female gymnasts
"This suffering in no way compares to what the girls went through, but the Karolyis are elderly, and they have suffered greatly because of a criminal who came onto their property," attorney David Berg said
Nassar, 54, is serving an effective life sentence in prison for sexually assaulting nine girls and young women in Michigan, as well as for federal child pornography crimes
More than 330 girls and women have alleged he assaulted them, often under the guise of medical treatment, at Michigan State and at gymnastics competitions across the country and around the globe
Nassar worked full time at Michigan State and was also the longtime team trainer for USA Gymnastics women
At Nassar's sentencing hearing this year, Mattie Larson, a former Team USA gymnast, said that Van Horn was in the room "many of the times" Nassar abused her
In the news conference, Walker County officials said they uncovered evidence of wrongdoing by other USA Gymnastics officials that could have led to failure-to-report charges, but those incidents occurred outside the two-year statute of limitations for that crime
While Nassar is in federal prison, Walker County officials said they intend to try to have him brought to Texas for a trial
"Because it's the right thing to do," Weeks said. "Because these victims deserve to be heard
Because they deserve justice."
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