Michigan State Police found the lifeless body of former US gymnastics coach, John Geddert, at a rest area on Interstate 96 Thursday afternoon. Initial investigations show that the Olympics gymnastics coach took his own life, though police did not release further details pending an investigation. Geddert coached the US women's gymnastics team during the 2012 Olympics in the United Kingdom.

According to a CNN report, the 63-year-old former coach, at the time of his death, faced dozens of charges, including criminal sexual conduct, human trafficking, and lying to a peace officer. An announcement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel stated that Geddert was facing 24 felony charges in connection with alleged abuse of young gymnasts.

In a statement, the AG's office said they had expected the former coach to turn himself in for his arraignment Thursday afternoon. Michigan's Attorney General said that the discovery of Geddert's lifeless body is a tragic end to a tragic story. The attorney for the former coach did not immediately reply to requests by the media for comments.

Records show that Geddert formerly owned the popular Twistars Gymnastics Club in Michigan. The place is among those identified by disgraced former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar where he sexually abused young female athletes. Geddert has since sold Twistars and is now operating under a different name. In the complaint filed against the 63-year-old former coach, alleged victims claimed that Geddert used fraud, coercion, and force against young athletes who sought him for gymnastics training, for his own financial benefit.

"The victims suffer from eating disorders, subjected to excessive physical conditioning, repeatedly forced to perform even when injured, extreme emotional and physical abuse, which include sexual assault," AG Nessel said. The Michigan AG also said that some of the victims have attempted suicide and inflicted self-harm. A copy of the complaint obtained by media outlets shows that the alleged offenses began in 2008 and stretched to 2016.

The Michigan Attorney General's office also said that Geddert allegedly engaged in physical, verbal, and sexual abuse against several young women. Nessel said that the former coach faces 14 counts of human trafficking-forced labor resulting in injuries. He also faces six counts of human trafficking of minors for forced labor, and one count each of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct, and continuing criminal enterprise.

US gymnastics coach US gymnastics coach
Former US women gymnastics team's coach John Geddert, seen here celebrating a London Olympics gold medal with US team members, has been charged with human trafficking and criminal sexual conduct by prosecutors in Michigan. Photo: AFP

The Michigan AG also revealed that Geddert faces one count of lying to a peace officer in an ongoing violent crime investigation. Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark explained that the charge of lying to the peace officer filed against Geddert stemmed from the AG's investigation of Nassar.

The Assistant AG said that in this case, the charge relates to the former coach's behavior during the investigation launched against Nassar. "What the public needs to know is that these charges against Mr. Geddert are for his actions and his actions alone. They have very little to do with Mr. Nassar. Counts 1-20 that relate to human trafficking are for his behavior in the gym related to his coaching," Hagaman-Clark said.