Texas Governor orders criminal probe of Houston gymnastics ranch

The horrifying sexual abuse crimes committed by Larry Nassar, the longtime doctor of the USA national gymnastics team, continue to impact the state of Texas.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered a criminal investigation Tuesday into claims that Nassar abused some of his victims at the Karolyi Ranch, a Houston facility that served as an elite training center for some of the nation’s best gymnasts.

Abbott wrote a letter to the director of the state’s public safety department that requested an additional investigation that would be conducted by the Texas Rangers.

Here is a portion of that letter: "The public statements made by athletes who previously trained at the Karolyi Ranch are gutwrenching. Those athletes, as well as all Texans, deserve to know that no stone is left unturned to ensure that the allegations are thoroughly vetted and the perpetrators and enablers of any such misconduct are brought to justice. The people of Texas demand, and the victims deserve, nothing less."

USA Gymnastics severed ties with the ranch, owned by former national team coordinators Bela and Martha Karolyi, earlier this month amidst testimony from current and former U.S. Olympic gymnasts that Nassar had committed numerous acts of sexual assault on its premises.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News reported that Nassar practiced medicine in Texas without a Texas medical license.

On Jan. 24, the disgraced doctor was sentenced to up to 175 years in state prison for pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct charges.

The Walker County Sheriff’s Office is already investigating.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Texas Governor orders criminal probe of Houston gymnastics ranch."